The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny
by RB3
Summary: Anime,Suikoden,WFFR?: Now that the Eye of God is destroyed, the anime worlds face a new problem. Acme wants Cephiro's Pillar system. If he is allowed to expand it, it will cause Paradox backlashes that will rip the worlds apart.
1. The Sons' Dinner Party

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. 

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

The Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible. 

**

The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 

**

Chapter 1: The Sons' Dinner Party 

Eddie Valiant was victorious. The somewhat portly, but tough, private investigator gazed on the remains of the enemy. On the ground of their battlefield, a warehouse, laid his arch-nemesis, Judge Doom. All remained of this man, was nothing more than a mask and a splotch of paint on the floor. The judge was a victim of his own creation, a substance known as "the dip." Essentially paint solvents, the dip was used a means of executing otherwise impossible to kill Toons. It was the judge's plan to use this substance to commit genocide against Toons to pave the way for the creation of his freeway. 

"Eddie, we can't get down! There's dip everywhere!" cried Doom's hostage, Roger Rabbit. 

Roger, a cartoon or Toon rabbit, was Eddie's long-time companion in this case. The white rabbit looked comical in his clown-like red suspenders, but his situation was anything but comical. Doom nearly killed him and his wife, Jessica, the femme fatale in red tied next to him. The two were suspended by in front of a dip cannon as the first sacrifice in the name of Doom's plot. Eddie turned a nearby wheel which opened the fire hydrants in the building. The water gushed out and cleansed the floor of the foul, corrosive dip, allowing Eddie to free his companions. 

Moments later, other Toons entered the site of the battle and began to comment. The police came on the scene to secure the premises. Roger took this time to read a love poem to his wife. However, new writing appeared on the paper, revealing the long missing will of the late Marvin Acme, Toontown's owner. As per the late Acme's desires, the Toons became the true owners of Toontown, the city where they lived, worked, and played. As the Toons cheered the reading of the will, they were elated. 

So happy were the Toons that they broke out in song to celebrate. "Smile, darn ya, smile! You know this whole world is a great world after all!" 

The singing and celebrations lasted well into the night, as the passing of Toontown's ownership to the Toons was a cause for celebration. Many years have passed since that fateful day. Eddie married his love, Dolores, and together brought healthy descendants to the world. Throughout his rest of his long, illustrious career, Eddie was a hero and friend to Toons, right until his passing at the hearty age of 80. The day of Eddie Valiant's death was a sad day for Toontown. Every Toon was so dismayed by the man's death that the day of his burial was declared a holiday. 

The noble investigator received a burial worthy of a hero or war veteran. Countless Toons watched as Eddie's coffin was transported by his pallbearers down the main street of Toontown. Toons of all ages and origin gathered to watch in sadness as a hero was brought to his final resting place. They stopped at an open grave in the cemetery named after him and placed Eddie's remains in their final resting place. 

Now, in the year 2005, nearly ten years after his burial, Eddie's grave still stood at the centre of the Valiant Cemetery in Toontown. Above his resting place was a marble likeness of himself, standing proudly with arm outstretched. The statue depicted the man as he was in his prime, the somewhat portly investigator in a trench coat and fedora, standing tall and proud. On the base was Eddie's epitaph, written by his friend Roger. It read "here lies a swell guy." 

In the years that have passed since Eddie's death, much had changed. New cartoons came and went, but the biggest change was the arrival of the cartoon's Japanese cousin, the anime, to American shores. For the first time, American viewers got to see what their former enemies from World War Two were seeing today. Leading the coming of anime was Dragonball Z, a martial arts anime of fast-paced, over-the-top combat between incalculably powerful combatants. This anime stood head and shoulders over its peers, attracting millions of viewers, both Toon and human each night. This pleased its host company, Maroon Cartoons, to no end. 

A Toon kid tuned into the latest episode of Dragonball Z. The scene was a fight scene between two of the Z warriors and a Saiyan invader. The protagonists of the show, Goku and Piccolo, squared off against Goku's brother, Raditz. The two warriors through everything they could against the Saiyan invader; from flurries of punches and kicks which sent fighters flying to devastating energy beams which ruptured mountains. No matter what they did, nothing could stop the monstrous Raditz. As their final gambit, Goku locked his brother's arms while Piccolo charged up for his most powerful attack. The green alien fired the shot, puncturing a hole through Raditz and Goku, kill them both. 

Elsewhere, a gathering of guests attended a dinner party. "Cheers!" 

The guests clinked their glasses and sipped their drinks. Around the dinner table sat a circle of friends and business associates, some Toons, the rest regular humans. At the centre of the table was one Roland Maroon, the spitting image of his ancestor, R.K. Maroon, who had been murdered by Judge Doom. The middle-aged president of Maroon Cartoons, Roland Maroon's black hair was beginning to grey. This corporate president was the man who brought Dragonball Z to a fanatic American and Toon audience. With him were his attractive middle-aged wife, and a friend, Adam Acme. 

Adam Acme was a descendant of Marvin Acme, the man murdered by Doom in order to steal ownership of Toontown in his quest for the freeway. Adam was a fairly portly man like his ancestor, but didn't have his ancestor's constantly jovial attitude and love of pranks. Adam's hair had greyed from the onset of middle-age, but that gave him a more distinguished air when wearing his tuxedo. Adam Acme was the president of Acme Co., which produced tools for use by Toons in their stunts and shows. Adam was a good friend of the Maroons, as well as one of their biggest business associates through their companies. 

The rest of the table were both Toons, stars of Dragonball Z. The first was Goku Son, the protagonist of Dragonball Z. This muscular man had spiky black hair that seemed to magically stick out on its own. He had traded his orange fighting uniform for a tuxedo which made him look bigger than he truly was. Despite the muscles, the power, and the sometimes brutal stunts he did for his show, he smiled a lot. He was just a big kid at heart. Next to him was his wife, Chichi, a black-haired beauty who wore a long violet dress for this occasion. The two ate dinner as they talked with Maroon about the smashing success of Dragonball Z's first season. 

"I got to hand it to you, Goku, I don't know how you pull off half the stunts you do for the ratings," remarked Maroon. 

"Well, I stay in tip-top shape. I dedicate myself to a strict diet and training regimen," replied Goku. "You know, if you want to stay in shape, I'd be happy to give you some personalized training." 

Maroon thought back to the high kicks and the punishment Goku took in his acting. "Oh no thanks, I don't think my back can take it." Everyone chuckled at Roland's response. 

Chichi checked on her purse to find everything was in order. Her permit was still in its place and undisturbed as usual. This permit was vital, as it allowed them to be in the real world. Normally, anime Toons did not live alongside humans like normal Toons did in Toontown. Anime Toons lived in special worlds, the same ones that were depicted in their shows. They were not allowed to enter the human world unless authorized by local authorities through permits. This was a measure to protect the human world from harm. 

Anime Toons had immense powers compared to most Toons, much of it was particularly destructive. In Goku's case, he could fire beams of energy that could wipe out buildings or city blocks instantly. Many anime Toons were more akin to Western superheroes rather than the slapstick comedians of Eddie Valiant's time. In particular, the powers of anime characters as well as regular Toons were divided into four groups denoting their nature; science, psionics, ki, and magic. 

Science is what a race of people used to collectively improve their living standards. In some cases, a person could use it to gain powers beyond that of normal humans. It deals much with the creation of technological artefacts like robots and is the basis of space-faring shows. It has rules that are fairly consistent across shows and worlds, hence its ease of duplication and the lack of consequences in doing so. This only applied if the scientist came from a world of roughly sufficient technological development. Otherwise, the scientist would be unable to duplicate the item. 

Psionics dealt with the powers of the mind and drew on its energy to create supernatural phenomenon. You can literally kill someone just by thinking about it through Psionics. Abilities such as telekinesis and manipulating thoughts are its hallmarks, though Psionics isn't limited to just these effects. This is the power type used by most Western superheroes, in one form or another. It too has a tendency towards science-fiction shows like Science does. Psionics aren't known for their creation of artefacts like Science is. 

Ki is famous for making its users particularly powerful. Those who use Ki become stronger and faster than what any mere mortal can hope to achieve. Its power comes from the human body. Another of its famous powers are the pressure points; nodes on a victim where you can touch or hit to produce an effect. Ki users are often well-trained, life long martial artists and warriors. Ki also encompasses Eastern mysticism, in particular priests and priestess who deal with and bind spirits for the good of their community. This power type, being largely Eastern in origin, is a rarity in Western shows. 

The final power type is Magic, one of the most varied power types of all. This is the power type of the magician, the individual who wields and draws his powers from forces of nature. Some magicians even draw their power from a greater power like a god or demon. It is the power that most deals with and is manipulated by faith and belief. Not all magic requires spells to be chanted. It is the hallmark of fantasy, with its emphasis on medieval combat, questing, surreal worlds beyond imagination, and supernatural entities like gods, demons, and dragons. Magic tends to operate differently and often contrary to established scientific rules. 

The power types of Toons were many and varied, even among those found within the same show. However, there was one rule, a natural law, which was common to all power types in all universes. This immutable rule was known as the Law of Exponential Paradox. This law stated that whenever an individual uses powers foreign to his or her world, and hence his or her nature, the contradiction produces a chance for a backlash. Such backlashes can vary from being chaotic and dangerous to comical and harmless. Using foreign powers is risk akin to playing Russian roulette and can be costly in the heat of battle. 

Backlashes can vary greatly in effect, depending on the amount of power invoked, as well as the user's aptitude in the powers of their own world. A backlash can include having the used power backfire, being stripped of all supernatural powers, or even being mutated. Usually, these backlashes were temporary, but worsen and exponentially become more likely to occur as one continued to defy nature. As a corollary of this law, people tended towards the powers native to their home world as the path of least resistance. This was the reason for a scientist's failures in trying to duplicate technology from a higher tech world. 

Goku and Chichi's powers were of the Ki variety. Both husband and wife were far stronger and faster and than any mere mortal, though it wouldn't seem that way in Chichi's case. Goku in particular was not actually human, but of a race in Dragonball Z known as the Saiyans. This race loved combat to a fault and had the ability to assume a state of high power, called the "Super Saiyan" form. In this form, a Saiyan's hair turned golden, their eyes turned green, and their overall power rose exponentially. Despite all this power, Goku was a man who liked the simple things in life, such as spending time with his family. 

After a wonderful conversation over dinner, it was time for the guests to leave. "I had a great night, Roland," commented Chichi. "The food was tasty and the company was great." 

Goku shook Adam's hand. "Nice to meet you, Adam!" 

Adam recoiled in pain from Goku's strong grip. "Ugggh, okay, nice to meet you Goku." As Adam left the restaurant, he shook the pain out of his hand. The Sons walked back home. 

END OF CHAPTER 1 


	2. Ki Story part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. 

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible. 

**

The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 

**

Chapter 2, Ki Story part 1: Who Stole the Dragonballs? 

The two warriors faced each other with fists raised and eyes filled with intensity. Only one of these fighters would walk away from the battle, and each warrior intended that person to be him. The two were as different as night and day, as their reasons for engaging in this battle couldn't be more different. One sought to annihilate the planet on which he stood; his first step being to eliminate resistance to this goal. The second wanted to preserve the world, which put him at odds with the warrior across from him. 

The destroyer was known as Cell. The green-skinned, almost reptilian Cell was not a natural creature of the Earth. He was a mighty android grown in a vat from the genetic material of the Earth's greatest warriors. His first goal was to achieve perfection, a goal that could only be accomplished by absorbing his android brethren; a goal he had achieved. Now as Perfect Cell, his face gained a chalky white, but more humanoid appearance. He now moved on to his second goal; to annihilate the Earth and its pitiful inhabitants. 

The Earth's preserver and the hero of the battle was Trunks Briefs. He was the son of the prince of the Saiyans himself, Vegita, and learned everything about the martial arts from him. The violet haired teenager was a muscular boy in peak physical condition. His muscles tensed in preparation for a great battle against the greatest threat the Earth has known yet. Screaming loud enough to wake up an entire country, he channelled his rage into achieving greater heights of strength. The sheer power transformed him into a Super Saiyan. 

All of sudden, Cell made his move. He darted in with preternatural quickness and landed a powerful, solid blow to Trunks' chin. That sudden attack launched the boy into the air. The biological android suddenly appeared above and slammed him with a kick to the gut, planting him firmly into the ground. The landing ruptured a gaping crater in the process. Trunks leapt back into the action and charged at Cell, suddenly popping up behind him and nailing in the back of the head with a kick. The android went hurtling into the ground, puncturing yet another crater beside the first. 

Cell picked himself off the ground and entered into a melee with the Super Saiyan. Back and forth the punches and kicks went. They were so fast that they were merely blurs to the naked eye. The two traded blows back and forth until Cell claimed the upper hand with a shot to the gut. He pressed his advantage, pummelling Trunks with fast and furious blows to every part of his body. The sheer force of the fighting pushed Trunks back. Cell followed with a mighty kick, and then a finishing Ki shot that sent Trunks on a one way trip into the dirt. 

Though bloodied, bruised, and battered, Trunks was not about to quit. The fate of the Earth was as stake and he couldn't give up, not at such a critical moment. He picked himself off the ground and channelled his rage again. His muscles bulged greater than ever before with similar exponential increase to his strength. "You think that will you help you any?" taunted Cell. Trunks charged at his foe with rage and fury, but Cell weaved past the blows, evidently with greater speed than ever before. Trunks couldn't even land a single, measly hit. After weaving past several blows, Cell countered, nailing the Saiyan squarely in the chin. The Saiyan attempted to counter, but only caught air as Cell had moved out of the way of the kick. Trunks located his quarry in the sky and charged up and released a massive Ki beam into the sky. It burst with devastating force, filling the world with a blinding light. When the smoke cleared, Cell was nowhere to be seen. Had Trunks really won the battle? 

"Bam!" went the sound of Cell's foot, smashing into the back of his target's head. 

Trunks went tumbling into the ground, digging a long groove into the dirt on his way down. "Damn! Why can't I hit you?" 

"Don't you get it yet?" asked Cell. "All you did was pump up your muscles. Without the speed to back it up, it means nothing." 

Trunks now realized his grave error. "So that's why father always thought the training wasn't enough!" said Trunks. "That's why he thought he had reached a plateau!" 

"...And cut!" cried an off-screen director. 

"So how was it?" asked Trunks as he dusted himself off. 

"Beautiful my friend, beautiful!" replied the director. 

"Alright!" exclaimed Trunks, as he and Cell high-fived. "I'm going to hit the showers and then head home." 

Trunks entered the changing room and ripped off his sweaty, smelly clothes. He had worked up quite a big sweat while filming the latest episode of Dragonball Z. The water felt soothing as it fell onto him. It helped Trunks to recover from the soreness caused by the stunts in the filming. Trunks shut the water and began to soap up his body, leaving not a single place uncovered. After washing off the suds, Trunks returned to the dressing room and changed into street clothes. 

His favourite attire consisted of Capsule Corp. brand clothing. In particular, his jacket was a key part of his ensemble and featured the circular logo emblazoned on its shoulders. His mother was a high ranked person, giving him great access to free products from the company. Trunks finished his ensemble by slinging his sword onto his back. "Okay guys, see ya later!" 

"Bye Trunks!" called his friend Gohan from deeper in the room. 

At that moment, a young green alien boy burst into the room. He was but a young child who had a hairless head, a pair of antennae jutting from the front, and ears that tapered to a point. The young child was in robes, marking him as a kind of religious figure. Trunks recognized this child as Dende, the guardian of Earth. A Namek, Dende was of the same race and had a similar style of dress as the one who rushed to greet him, Piccolo. The young Namek was very agitated. 

"Guys come quickly! Someone has just stolen the Dragonballs from Namek!" cried Dende. 

"Hurry up and get dressed!" called Piccolo to the rest of the room. 

The Dragonball Z cast made haste to the Planet Namek to investigate the robbery. Upon arrival at the Dragonball holding shrine, they found a smouldering crater where it once stood. There was no sign of the Dragonballs, nor who had committed this heinous act. This crime was a serious one due to the nature of the stolen property. The Dragonballs were a set of seven amber spheres with crimson stars in them that marked their number. Once gathered together, the user can summon a dragon who would grant them three wishes, much like the genie of a lamp. 

"What did you see?" Piccolo asked a Namek witness. 

"They were a bunch of humans. One of them scurried up a building like a spider and was gone before I knew it," reported the witness. 

"Okay, thanks for your help," said Piccolo. 

The cast of Dragonball Z continued their questioning and effectively heard the same thing the witness told Piccolo. The only thing the people saw were the explosion and some humans quickly fleeing the scene of the crime. Some of the humans climbed over houses and other buildings like they were spiders. That was something no ordinary human could do. Though seemingly a far-fetched idea, everyone that saw the thieves corroborated the story of the original witness. The Dragonball Z cast didn't know what to make of this. They wondered who these thieves really were. 

"I don't get it," remarked Goku. "How can a normal human climb up walls like a spider can?" 

"Beats me," said Piccolo. "Something about this just doesn't add up, but I don't have time to play detective. I still have filming to do for the second season." 

The cast let out a chorus of agreement with Piccolo, with the lone exception of Trunks. "What about me? I'm practically done with my filming. What if I take over the investigation for you guys?" 

The others didn't know what to think, but had little choice about it. "That's a good idea. Trunks can keep us updated on what he finds. I vote that we let Trunks handle it," said Gohan, the young son of Goku. "Who else is in favour?" 

The Dragonball Z cast began a vote. The fighters had voted unanimously in favour of Trunks taking over, with the exception of one person. The only person that didn't say a word was a single Saiyan. This lone Saiyan, a relatively short man with his arms crossed, was known as Vegita, prince of the Saiyans. Everyone was waiting for his approval to make the vote completely unanimous. "Go get'em," was all he said. 

The entire cast was happy, especially Trunks, Vegita's son. "I'll keep in touch with you guys. Whenever I find something new, I'll let you know." 

With the approval of all of his friends and relatives, Trunks began his mission in earnest. The young half-Saiyan searched through police reports and recorded witness testimony to find out anything that could shed light on the Dragonball theft. He managed to find recorded feed from security cameras installed on nearby buildings. As Trunks watched the video in a police video room, he kept a watchful over anything that looked out of the ordinary. 

Three minutes into the video, the Dragonball shrine exploded, and a trio of humans ran out in different directions to flee the blast. Trunks watched as one of the robbers turned her head briefly enough to allow the camera to get a good view of her face. The woman was in her early to mid twenties and had shoulder length black hair. In the video, she wore a tight jumpsuit that accentuated her curvaceous body. Trunks acquired a photo of this woman and pocketed it for future reference. He called his friends and gave them a report. 

The trail led to a series of portals that connected the Dragonball world to others. The portals were a set of silvery floating rings of metal suspended by an unknown force. Each had a roadway leading directly into it for travellers. Some of the roadways were wider and had cars lined up all the way back to a ramp. Others were shorter and had people coming in and going of them. "Have you seen this woman?" Trunks asked of a Namek guard as he showed the picture. "She's a suspect in a robbery case." 

"Ah you must be the guy they told me about," said the guard. "We matched this person to a video captured by our surveillance cameras. Our logs indicated that she had entered the Shaman King world. The authorities there are looking for her as we speak." 

"Send me there," demanded Trunks. 

The guard agreed and ordered special portals used by law-enforcement to be fired up for the Saiyan detective. In the centre of the portal, the image shifted to that of a bustling, Anime metropolis. Trunks walked through and looked around. The city looked like thousands of others strewn across the anime worlds. Unlike that of his world, this world was not as technologically advanced. Its level of technology was the equivalent of the human world's Japan, with fossil fuel cars and rectangular skyscrapers in the distance. It was a version of Tokyo, one of many that existed in the vast number of Anime worlds. 

Trunks found a newspaper box and reached into his pocket. He pulled out some coins and paid the machine, which coughed up the paper with a clanging sound. Trunks sat on a nearby bench and began to read. Down the street walked a trio of people, a young man and two young boys, who were having a conversation. The coated man was a blond who had a creepy, gothic look to him. The first boy was young Japanese kid in sandals, slacks, and had a pair of headphones on his head. The second boy was the shortest of the three. He had brown hair and wore a fine white shirt and tie. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said the first kid, Yoh. 

"We have to be careful, Yoh," said the shortest kid, Morty to Yoh. "There've been a lot of thefts lately in the Anime worlds. The guys over at Dragonball Z just had their Dragonballs stolen the day before. We have to keep our eyes open." Morty looked over to where Trunks was sitting. "Hey, isn't that..." 

"Who are you talking about?" asked the man, Faust VIII. 

"Him!" said Morty pointing to Trunks. "Isn't that Trunks of Dragonball Z?" 

"Come to think of it, yeah, that does look like him..." admitted Yoh. 

"I'm going to ask him!" stated Morty, who ran up to speak to Trunks. "Hi, you wouldn't happen to be Trunks, the same one who beat up Freeza in that episode of Dragonball Z?" 

"Why yes, that's me," replied Trunks. 

Morty was so happy that he could faint. "Wow, I'm talking to a star, a real star!" 

As the four talked with each other, a dark figure was watching them from the roof of a building. In his hands was a powerful long range rifle trained on the head of the young half-Saiyan. Once he lined up the shot, he pulled the trigger that would end the young man's life. The bullet soared through the air, right into Trunks' view in the slowest motion. "GET DOWN!" cried Trunks as he tackled his fans into the ground. 

The bullet whizzed into the bench and tore a chunk off of the top. The sniper had missed his mark, alerting his target to his presence. He now had no recourse but to escape retaliation. Trunks glanced at the direction of the shot and flew in that direction as fast as he could. He found a discarded rifle on the ground and heard the attacker's feet clang against the metal of a fire escape railing. Trunks followed and spotted the attacker leaping down the side of the building with speed greater than a typical human could muster. For some reason, Trunks could not sense this person's Ki, despite the incredible physical exertion he was making to move at this pace. 

The attacker pulled a gun and fired. Trunks dodged the bullets with ease and shot the gun out of the assassin's hand. The man's hand began releasing sparks of electricity. This fact revealed the true nature of the enemy to Trunks. He was an android of some kind, here to stop him from getting closer to the Dragonballs and their thieves. Trunks tackled the android to the ground of an alley and began a struggle with it. The two got up and entered into a martial arts brawl. The assassin threw a kick which Trunks caught in his hand and countered with a sweep to the legs. 

The assassin threw a punch only to have Trunks weave past the blow and land one of his own to the gut. Trunks pummelled the assassin with a flurry of punches before kicking the punk onto the street. As the assassin tried to recover, Trunks was already flying towards him with a devastating final punch to the gut. The sheer force ripped the android in half, igniting a complete failure of its systems. The assassin's head popped off and rolled along the ground, its wires still dancing and sparkling with electricity. Morty rushed up to check on the situation. 

"Wow, you're incredible!" he exclaimed. 

"Who was that guy?" asked Faust. 

Trunks took possession of the severed android head for safe keeping. "I've been searching for the Dragonballs, which were stolen from a shrine in my world. It seems I'm getting close if they sent an assassin to try to stop me." 

Suddenly, a call came on the cell phone for Yoh. "Hello?" answered Yoh. 

The caller was his fiancée Anna. "Yoh, come quickly! Someone stole the 1080 beads!" 

"Okay, I'm coming back now," replied Yoh. 

"Trunks, we have to go. Sorry we couldn't be of any help," apologized Morty. 

"I'm coming with you," demanded the young half-Saiyan. "I have a gut feeling that this something I should check out." 

"Well, the more the merrier," remarked Yoh with a smile. 

Trunks followed his newfound buddies to a modest Japanese holy shrine. Normally, such a shrine would be filled with statues of Buddha and other religious icons. There would be incense perfuming the air and wards dangled all around to drive away evil spirits. Instead, the building had been defiled by the actions of a disrespectful gang of violent criminals. The wards had been burned by the heat of energy weapons. A hole had been punched into the back wall of the shrine and used by the crooks to make their escape. The caretakers were sprawled on the ground with serious injuries that rendered them unable to move. Medical personnel had to carry them out on stretchers. 

The team of Trunks and the Shaman found the chief caretaker of the shrine, Anna. She was a just a girl, but had an air of great authority and dominance that went beyond her years. The young girl was actually quite an attractive blonde. As a priestess, she wore a set of ritual beads around her neck as though it was jewellery. She was concerned about the break-in and ascertaining the condition of her caretaking staff. 

"What happened here?" asked Faust. 

One of the injured caretakers had the answer. "Some crooks broke in and took the 1080 beads. We tried to stop them but they were too strong." 

"What did they look like?" asked Faust. 

Trunks showed his photo to the man. "Did any of the robbers happen to look like this?" 

"Yes! She was one of them!" 

"You were lucky. I think these thieves may be androids. Be glad that you're alive," remarked Trunks, who showed everyone the head for emphasis. The young half-Saiyan turned to Anna. "It looks like we have a common enemy," remarked Trunks. 

"That's right. That's why Yoh and Morty will help you find the thieves," announced Anna. 

"What?" objected Yoh. 

"Did you say something?" asked Anna. 

"Oh nothing..." 

"Faust, please go with them," requested Anna. "They need an adult around to keep an eye on them." 

"Sure," replied the creepy Shaman. 

"I'm not sure you guys should be coming with me. This will be a dangerous job," warned Trunks. "Someone has already tried to kill me earlier in the day. Are they up for this?" 

"Oh yes, they are up for it," replied Anna. "Yoh, Morty, and Faust are all Shamans. They can help you more than you realize." 

Anna proceeded to explain what a Shaman was. In the Shaman King realm, there was a class of people who could see spirits and interact with them. By doing so, they gained access to superhuman abilities. These abilities were based off of spiritual possession of some kind. Such tricks included Yoh putting a spirit into a sword to create a katana with an energy blade. These people were known as Shamans. To fuel these powers, Shamans had an energy known as "Furyoku" which came directly from the Shaman's own stamina. 

"Hmm, sounds very much like the Ki I use, only I don't work with ghosts," commented Trunks. 

"I guess you could put it that way if it helps you to understand our abilities," said Faust. 

Trunks' three Shaman allies proceeded to introduce their partner spirits. Yoh's spirit was named Amidamaru. This samurai was a young, grey-haired man wearing crimson Japanese shoulder armour. Morty's spirit, Mosuke, was a blacksmith and friend to Amidamaru. Both men had worked for the same master while in life. However, their master betrayed them, eventually leading to the deaths of both men. Amidamaru tried to fight back, but had gained a terrifying reputation as a butcher for killing countless of the master's soldiers. 

Faust's spirit was that of his late wife, Eliza. The woman was an attractive blonde in a pink nurse's attire and also the man's late wife. Before her death, the couple was happily married and about to start their own medical practice. A robber broke into their home and killed Eliza, which drove Faust to research his family's necromantic secrets in an attempt to bring her back. Though he didn't succeed in resurrecting her, he did succeed in recalling her spirit. Faust is now trying to make up for lost time and renewed his medical practice while honing his shamanistic powers with Eliza's help. 

"So you can see, this matter is very personal to me and to Eliza," said Faust. 

Trunks shook Faust's hand. "Glad to have you on board." 

"So, where do we go from here?" asked Yoh. 

"You guys can take this picture and start searching for clues," replied Trunks. Trunks handed the photo as well as contact information to Yoh, who pocketed it. "I need to take this head to my mom so she can examine it for clues. I'll join up when I'm done." 

Trunks soared into air with the android head in tow and vanished into the horizon. This left the three Shamans still trying to figure out what to do next. They decided to inquire within their networks of friends, who were mostly Shaman as well, for information. They came across a few of their friends coming out of a local convenience store. The first was a foreign boy with blue hair. He wore a windbreaker and headband with strange designs that seemed almost Chinese in origin, but not. The second was a girl with shoulder length blue hair, and a style and appearance similar to the boy. 

"Hi Trey, hi Pilika!" greeted Morty. 

"Hi dudes, whassup?" greeted Trey. 

"We're were wondering if you've seen her?" asked Faust, showing them the picture of the robber. 

"No sorry I haven't," admitted Trey. 

"Me neither. Who is she?" asked Pilika. 

"She broke into my family shrine a few hours ago," informed Yoh. 

Pilika was shocked by what she heard. "Oh!" she gasped. "They didn't hurt anyone did they?" 

"A few of the caretakers got hurt. They had to be taken to the hospital," informed Morty. 

"Man, that's rough. What could they have wanted so badly to do such a thing?" asked Trey. 

"They took the 1080 beads," said Yoh. 

"Why would they want those things?" asked Trey. "It wouldn't be worth any money to the robbers." 

"That's what we intend to find out," stated Faust. "Somehow, I don't think these are ordinary robbers we're dealing with here." 

"Maybe you should try asking Ryo," suggested Trey. "I bumped into him a while back. He said he was going to hang out with the boys at the warehouse."

* * *

Meanwhile, a devilishly handsome young man approached his warehouse and favourite hang out. The man was a person who really stood out in a crowd. He had a large, pompadour hair-style cut in the shape of a heart at its tip. It was the same hair style popularized by 1950's rock stars. He also had a goatee. The man carried around a wooden sword used by Japanese swordsmen to practice their craft. The young man opened the door to be greeted by adulation from his gang, the Dead Enders. 

"Hey, Ryo's here!" cried one of the gang members. The gang members crowded around to greet their boss. 

The agenda for the night was a marathon of Hollywood action films. The gang watched the film, which moved into an exciting car chase scene. A band of bank robbers had hit a bank and hopped into their car to escape. The protagonists, a pair of detectives, were in hot pursuit. The chase led the cops down busy city intersections filled with cars and trunks they had to dodge. As the chase spilled over onto the high way, more and more police took to the roads in pursuit. In the chase's conclusion, the crooks came upon a barricade made by the cops lining cars along the width of the road. They accelerated to top speed and ploughed through the narrow space between two of the vehicles. 

"I'm going to the bath room if anyone needs me," informed one of the gang members. 

The gang member ducked behind a stack of tires and began to urinate while out of view. After zipping up his fly, he noticed a strange man entering an abandoned building nearby. From his vantage point, the gang member got only a side view of the man. This strange person cast a very unpleasant aura. He had bushy black hair and an electronic eye piece over his left eye. He was very muscular and had an unusual tail jutting from his behind. 

Driven by curiosity, the gang member peeked into the warehouse to see what was going on. The man struck a conversation with a second person, an attractive, dark-haired woman. "So, do you have it?" asked the muscular man. 

"Of course," replied the woman, who opened a suitcase. 

Inside this case were the 1080 Asakura prayer beads and a set of amber balls fixed into slots. Each had a crimson star in the centre, numbering each ball from one to seven. The muscular man looked over his loot and was delighted by what he saw. "Good work, Gillian. The boss will be pleased with this." 

At that moment, the gang member had a bout of bad luck. He accidentally bumped the door, causing a squeak which alerted the thugs to his location. "Get him!" cried the muscular man. 

The gang member went screaming as he tried to escape. Gillian ran as fast she could, scurrying up a nearby warehouse and dropping in front of the gangster. The muscle man approached from behind and began cracking his knuckles. "Here I was thinking this would be a boring job..." he commented. 

Gillian held the man while her partner proceeded to deliver punch after punch to the gang member. She released the gangster, who fell onto one knee in a wreck. It was at this critical moment that Ryo and his posse appeared on the scene. "Let him go!" stated Ryo. 

"...Or what?" asked the man in a confrontational tone. He laughed as he kicked the downed hostage, intentionally trying to provoke Ryo and his gang. 

"That's enough!" cried Ryo. "Tokagero?" 

The spirit of a green, long faced bandit appeared. "Right!" 

Ryo assumed Spirit Unity with Tokagero, allowing the bandit spirit to possess his body and guide his actions. Ryo charged at the muscle man with his wooden sword drawn, ready to pummel him into oblivion. As Ryo's sword came down for a chop, the muscle man disappeared. Suddenly, Ryo took a devastating knee to the gut. The sheer power behind the move surprised him and knocked the wind out of him. The muscle man delivered a kick which sent Ryo sailing into the warehouse where he had been watching movies. 

The other Dead Enders were terrified. "Whoa, did you see that? He took out Ryo in just two hits!" 

Before the gang members could do anything, the muscle man descended on them. He flattened them all through sheer superiority of power and martial arts prowess. "Enough Korn! We have to get out of here!" cried Gillian. 

Korn took to the skies while Gillian disappeared into the night. A few minutes later, Yoh and his friends entered the scene, but the attackers were long gone. The young Shaman tended to his friend's wounds. "What happened here?" 

Indeed, the whole room was a mess. There was a hole in the warehouse wall, the same one Ryo crashed through after being kicked by Korn. The TV set had been knocked off its stand and was showing static. There was popcorn and soda spilt everyone the floor. Worse of all, Ryo and his gang were sprawled on the ground outside having suffering a grievous injury. They were victims of a brutal, heinous attack. 

Yoh helped Ryo get back onto his feet. "Are you okay Ryo?" 

"I'm fine," replied the Dead Ender chief. 

"Who did this to you?" asked Morty. 

"Me and the boys found some guys beating up one of my buddies so we went to teach him a lesson," replied Ryo. 

"What did they look like?" asked Morty. 

Ryo proceeded to describe the face of the man who had attacked him. After questioning the gang members, Yoh learned that the woman who stole the 1080 beads had been in this area as well. "If only we came here sooner..." 

At that moment, Trunks came in to check on his allies. He was stunned by what he saw. "What happened here?" 

"The crooks were here and attacked some of our friends," replied Morty, as he helped a gang member recover. 

"Damn, that's not good..." remarked Trunks. "Did you find anything out about them?" 

Morty told the half-Saiyan everything he learned about the attack. It was at this moment that the Dead Ender who went for a bathroom break chimed in with more detailed information. "I saw those guys! I saw them when I went out for a bathroom break. The woman's name is Gillian. I saw her hand some stuff over to this big muscle guy. He had this strange looking tail coming out of his rear end. After they beat up the rest of us, I heard that woman call him 'Korn' just before they left." 

"You guys are lucky to be alive. From your description, I'd say that 'muscle guy' was a Saiyan," informed Trunks. 

"No way! You mean to tell me he's one of your guys?" asked Morty. 

"Yeah, we Saiyans just love to fight. Some of us aren't above killing someone in the process," warned Trunks. 

Morty gulped. "Relax," said Yoh. "We can beat him. We'll get our stolen stuff back in no time." 

"Right now, we should worry about helping these people," stated Faust, who began to apply ointment to a Dead Ender's bruise. 

END OF CHAPTER 2 

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#5 Tenyu, Star of Bravery: Trunks (Dragonball Z)  
#17 Tenan, Dark Star: Faust VIII/Eliza (Shaman King)  
#18 Tenyu, Guardian Star: Yoh Asakura/Amidamaru (Shaman King) 

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#88 Chiko, The Lonely Star: Morty & Mosuke (Shaman King) 


	3. SciPsi Story, part 1

Kite Lanford:  
The Hero, the Chief Star of Heaven, will not show up until around the 12th or 13th chapter. Right now, I'm following a 3 viewpoint system similar to Suikoden 3. There's Trunks' Ki Story, this Sci/Psi story, and a Magic Story coming some time in the future. 

X-Over:  
There are actually 3 viewpoints for the first part of this story; Ki story (Trunks), Sci/Psi, & Magic. Trunks & his friends is the first viewpoint, but you'll see other characters and groups in the others. Roger will show up, but not for quite a while. This fic is mostly going to be about anime. 

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. 

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible. 

**

The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 

**

Sci/Psi Story, part 1: The M1 Astray 

It was another night over at one of the many cities in the Anime worlds. At first glance this city was like most others. It was a forest of rounded concrete, glass, and metal monoliths lit by neon signs. One the ground, countless vehicles zipped about like ants travelling to and fro. This city, the city of Saint Lowell, had an active nightlife. Bars of all kinds opened for business from friends and strangers alike. Some were merely social gatherings, places where people could come to relax and unwind after a hard day's work. Others had more risqué content in the form of women stripping for entertainment. Unlike most cities, this one was not built on the soil of the Earth. 

Saint Lowell was actually a city of Mars, the red planet. In the night sky, the Earth was visible as the bluest star in the heavens. The two moons hovered prominently in the sky like a pair of eyes watching the land below. It was in this city that a Saint Lowell police cruiser, occupied by two officers, travelled down the street. The driver was an attractive young woman barely out of her teens. For a police officer, this blonde wore quite a scandalous red leather ensemble. It consisted of a bikini top, jacket, hot pants and boots. This hot young woman was Naomi Armitage, officer of the Martian Police Department, Technical Criminal SWAT, or TCS, division. She was also a Third, a special android designed to look as human as possible. 

Her partner, also her beloved husband, was the proverbial tall, dark, handsome stranger. This cool and calm man, Ross Syllabus, had a tanned skin tone, brown almost to the point of being that of an ethnic African. The normally stoic Syllabus yawned wearily as their patrol shift came to an end. He pulled the sleeve of his trench coat away to reveal an arm encased by metal prosthetics. These prosthetics emitted a faint, nearly inaudible hum that indicated their cybernetic nature. From his watch, the time was 10:57 pm, almost quitting time. 

After returning their patrol vehicle to the station, the two took their personal vehicle to drive home. They greeted their babysitter on the way out and paid her well for her services. They checked up on their daughter, Yoko, who was fast asleep under the covers. The next day, Naomi and Ross returned to work at the police station. The moustachioed chief, a world-weary man in a white shirt and suspenders, called them into the briefing room for a special assignment. There were at least a dozen officers already there, chatting with each other. Armitage could pick out some familiar faces, such as Murphy and Smith. Once all the officers reported to the room, the chief started the briefing. 

"Good day ladies and gentlemen, you're all probably wondering why you're here," began the chief. "I'll keep this short and to the point. Our detectives have located a smuggling ring operating from a warehouse at 619 Broadshore St. in the industrial district. We have several photos which can illustrate the magnitude of this operation." 

The chief shut off the lights, darkening the room. He pressed a prominent black button on a slide show projector which cast the image of a photo taken by a detective. The photo showed the interior of a shoddy room taken from an elevated position. The windows were cracked and the corners wrapped in thick cobwebs. In the lower left, a small group of unscrupulous men were haggling over the prices for their wares. There were trucks and vans in the room, as well as crates and boxes, some of which were covered by blankets. The chief moved to the next slide, which showed the contents of some of the boxes. It was filled with bags containing a white powder of some kind. 

"Right here is 600kg of pure cocaine. This shipment alone is worth up to US $100m," narrated the chief. 

The next slide showed several boxes containing fearsome, military-grade weapons such as assault rifles and rocket launchers, as well as ammunition. Not only did the smuggling operation run drugs, they also ran arms to various terrorists and terrorist organizations. The last slide was the most telling of all. In it were boxes and crates filled with spare parts for a giant, humanoid machine of some kind. They contained replacement arms, legs, hands, and even a head, as well as servos and circuitry. They appeared to be the components of what seemed to be a gigantic robot-like war machine. 

"The smugglers are also running arms. They are selling premium military grade hardware to whoever can pay their price. They have terrorists and criminal organizations of all kinds buying their goods. That's where we come in. We're going to put a stop to this operation once and for all."

* * *

The night fell over Saint Lowell with commuters being replaced by swingers of all kinds. These people flit from night club to nightclub, bar to bar, in search of the latest source of excitement. At 619 Broadshore St., a pair of smugglers approached the warehouse in a truck, the same kind used by people to transport their possessions when moving. The warehouse interior was packed with thugs in camouflage gear, each toting submachine guns in their hands. The passenger, a teenaged pretty boy, disembarked from the cab and proceeded to guide the driver as he backed into the building. The same man fetched a forklift and proceeded to unload crates onto the factory floor. Once done, the passenger took off his cap and fixed his mussed blue hair. 

Just seconds later, their customers showed up in black sedans. They backed a truck of their own into the warehouse while suited guards took positions in the doorway. They were led by a pair of unscrupulous individuals, a man and a woman. The black-haired man was a person that had a well-kept appearance that belied the dirty nature of his transaction. He was of Caucasian descent with a handsomeness that belied the darkness and criminality of his heart. The woman was of Chinese descent with black hair that reached her shoulders. Her beauty also served to mask the dark heart of a thief and cold-blooded killer. 

"Let's see what we got here..." requested the man. 

"Andy, open the boxes," ordered the driver. 

"Sure thing, boss," replied Andy, the passenger. The boy used a crowbar to bust open a crate revealing the head of a combat robot to the buyer. It had a Japanese superhero look to it. 

"An Orb M1 Astray mobile suit, just as you ordered Mr. Dean," stated the driver. 

"Excellent," commented Dean. "Okay Gillian, bring our hosts their pay." 

Gillian placed a set of briefcases on a table and opened them for everyone to see. Within them were stacks and stacks of $100 bills in American money. The driver looked at all that money in awe. There had to have been at least $100 million worth of cash in all those briefcases combined. Just to be sure, he counted the money. His initial assessments were indeed correct, and thus accepted it as payment for the M1 Astray. 

"Thank you Mr. Dean. Enjoy that Astray," said the driver. 

"Pleasure doing business with you, Ronald," said Dean in return. "Okay Gillian, load it in the truck!" 

Dean's goons fetched the Astray's parts and began to load them into their truck. Gillian, seemingly the strongest woman to ever live, was able to pick up the boxes filled with mobile suit parts that weighed two to three tons each. Obviously, she was no ordinary human if she could do all that by herself. With her superhuman strength, the loading only took about 15 minutes at maximum. Just when things seem to be going good for the arms runners, fate intervened. 

"Police! This is a raid! Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" cried an officer over a bullhorn. 

"Shit! It's the cops!" cried Dean. "Run for it!" 

Dean and his goons scrambled for their vehicles and sped out of the warehouse as fast as they could. Andy rushed back to his truck and slammed the door behind him. Ronald was not far behind; starting the engine once he got into the driver's seat. The police cars had barricaded the way out, making Roland and Andy's situation ever grimmer. Naomi, Ross, and their allied police officers open fired on the truck. The bullets ricocheted off the metal chassis with sparks flying everywhere. Out of desperation, Ronald sped up the truck to bust through the barricade. The crunching and the windows shattering was deafening as the truck twisted the metal of the patrol vehicles on its way through. 

Ross dove to safety while Naomi leapt onto the hood of the engine. "You're not getting away that easily!" stated Naomi. 

Andy pulled a gun and made a clean shot right to Naomi's forehead. Blood and sparks of electricity burst of her forehead, but she was not dead. She hung on to the edge of the truck like a greedy dog with its teeth dug into a piece of meat. He fired more shots, missing his first three, but hitting Naomi in the arm on the fourth. It caused her to release her grip and spill onto the road. He watched as the police woman rolled down the street in the mirror to be picked up a moment later by her partner. 

The truck sped down asphalt roads with at least five squad cars in pursuit. The truck travelled down streets until they entered the busy streets of a commercial district. The truck weaved around cars on the street until it came to an intersection. It barrelled through, nearly hitting a turning car as it ran the red light. Andy looked back to see the police still hot on their tail. The sirens let out a shrill cry that signalled that the police were on their tail. Now, a swishing filled the air, the sign that a helicopter had joined in on the hunt. Its spotlight shined on them to highlight their location to the pursuing cops. Nothing would stop them until they had caught their prey. 

"They've got a chopper on us!" exclaimed Andy. "We need to get underground!" 

At that moment, an idea dawned on Ronald. "I know! We can go to the cave networks in Olympian Park!" 

Ronald turned a hard right corner at high speed, nearly sliding into the sidewalk and pedestrians at the opposite side. True to form, the police were right on their trail, not willing to allow them to the luxury of getting away. The helicopter emerged over a hotel and shined its light back on them to mark their location. The truck sped down the road at breakneck speed until a vast countryside filled with greenness appeared in the horizon. The truck barrelled through a gate and into a parking lot. Not even bothering to stop there, the truck burst into the wilds kicking up dirt and grass. 

The police attempted to follow through the wilderness, but one by one, they crashed into trees and bushes which halted their pursuit. The smugglers abandoned their truck near a mountain and dove into the caves. Using flashlights to see in the dark, the two smugglers navigated the labyrinthine cave network. When they passed through to the other side, all they could see was pure wilderness. There was no police anywhere. 

"I think we lost the heat," remarked Ronald. "We'd better lay low for awhile just to be safe. When the heat dies down, I'll contact you." 

"Okay Ronald, I guess this is goodbye," said Andy. "For a blue and pure world!" 

"For a blue and pure world!" echoed Ronald. 

The two made their way back to city limits on foot, making sure to keep a vigilant eye for law enforcement officials. They two split up with Andy heading returning to his apartment building at 117 Russells Lane. It was a moderately well-kept building within a middle-class neighbourhood. Andy entered, putting up a "do not disturb" sign on the way in, and locked the door behind him. He took off his soiled jumpsuit and took a brief, but relaxing shower before changing into casual clothing. 

He pulled out a briefcase from his closet and opened it to reveal circuitry and transistors. This object had a handheld microphone for speaking and a set of headphones for receiving the message of the other person. It had dials and a LCD display for adjusting the frequency. Andy donned the headphones and fiddled with the controls to reach his true masters. 

"This is agent Baby Blue, please respond," requested Andy. 

"This is Mama Blue, glad to hear from you, Baby Blue. Please report," requested the female voice of Andy's handler. 

"I have planted a tracking bug on the M1 Astray. I will be keeping tabs on the movements of the buyers." 

"Good work, Baby Blue," said Mama Blue. "Mama Blue signing off." 

Andy closed the briefcase radio and returned it to its hiding spot in his closet. He took a deep breath to relax himself. He fetched a small device that resembled a handheld personal planner. He pressed a button which caused it to display a map of the city. The device bleeped with each movement of the tracking bug. Its motions were erratic and impossible to predict. It made left turns and right turns in rapid succession, as though it had no idea where to go. It was likely that the buyers were still being pursued by the police. Since he was not going to get anything at this moment, he put the instrument away. He pulled out a picture of himself and a young, tomboyish girl of the same age from his wallet. Andy gazed at it, fondly reminiscing on the event that surrounded the creation of this photo.

* * *

It was a bright sunny day on a summer carnival in the Orb Union, an island nation in the south Pacific. The air was humid and the sun beat down on the land below. The merry-go-round played an upbeat circus tune as kids bobbed up and down on their horses. The roller coaster rumbled down its track with kids screaming as the ride made a sudden dip. Everywhere around them, the people were having fun with the games. 

Down the road, walked Andy with the blonde girl in the photo. "Hey Kira, wait for us!" cried the girl. 

Up ahead, a brown-haired teenaged boy paused and turned around to wait for the blonde girl, Cagalli. The red head beside him wasn't so eager to wait. "Leave them behind, Kira. They're too slow!" complained the red head. 

Cagalli dragged Andy with her to meet up with Kira and his girlfriend, Flay. "Hey wait up, I want to play this game!" said Cagalli. 

The game Cagalli wanted to play was "whack-a-mole." In this game, several mechanical moles would pop their heads out of a set of holes in the game machine. The player's goal was to hit as many of the moles as possible within a minute. Cagalli stepped up to plate at the centre of the machine and started to pummel those pests as quickly as she could. Once the minute was up, she got a score of 50, a fairly modest score. She won a small handheld teddy bear as her prize. 

"Damn, I wanted to win that big bear!" remarked Cagalli. 

"You want that bear?" asked Andy. "What would you say if I won it for you?" 

"Do you really mean it?" asked Cagalli. "That would be so sweet!" 

Andy paid the carnie and picked up the hammer. "Okay, here it goes!" 

As a Coordinator, a genetically modified human, this game was easy for Andy. With his genetically enhanced reflexes Andy reacted quite quickly to each of the moles foolish enough to stick their heads out. He pounded away and racked up huge points in the process. In the end, Andy got a score of 80, which was quite a good score. It was more than enough to win the big bear which he gave to his girl as a present. 

Later that day, Andy and his girl posed for a photo to commemorate this wonderful day. The two posed on a park bench, with Cagalli holding her gifts and Andy having his arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Okay guys, say 'cheese!'" said Kira as he aimed the camera. 

"Cheese!"

* * *

The flash blinded the couple and returned Andy to the present and to his mission for his nation. The boy pocketed the photo and checked back at the bug tracking device. On the screen, the M1 Astray's movements became less erratic and more consistent, as though the buyers weren't in any hurry to get somewhere. They likely have eluded the cops. The dot moved down the streets until it had reached a large building somewhere at the other side of town. From Andy's cross-referencing on a computer, that location was at another warehouse in a commercial district. 

Meanwhile, back at the MPD headquarters, the officers hauled in the men they had caught. The police threw the men into jail cells while they waited questioning. The captured men could be easily divided into two groups based on their clothing. One group wore blue jumpsuits and they were the ones who sold the smuggled groups. The others were men in black suits and sunglasses like normal organized criminals. They were the buyers of the stolen goods and had made off with foreign military hardware. 

The police dragged the men from their cells one by one to an interrogation room. When the police got to one of the men in black, he suddenly began to experience pain in his chest. He clutched at his chest in agony, trying to fight whatever it was that was attacking his heart. He gasped in pain before collapsing on the ground. The guard came across the man just as the other men followed suit. They began to experience the same pains as their first comrade. All the men collapsed onto the ground alarming the guard. 

"Dammit! We need a medic here!" cried the guard as more rushed in to secure the area. 

As this happened, Naomi and Ross were busy at his desk. She opened a panel in the side of her head to reveal a series of ports for input and output. Ross connected wires from his desk computer to his wife's head. Within seconds, a pair of images filled the screen and the computer queried several databases to find the identities of the men. The truck driver was a man named Ronald McNab. He had a criminal record for assault, smuggling, and arms running. He was also a suspected member of the Blue Cosmos terrorist group. The other man, the passenger, was named Andy Zimmerman, who had three cases of assault on his record. Ross uploaded the pictures to the police database for dissemination. 

The medical team rushed through the office on their way to the jail cell. Within minutes, all the men were pronounced dead on the scene by the medics. Naomi, Ross, and the rest of the police force watched as the men were carted out in body bags. "Just our luck. We want to question them and they go and croak on us!" exclaimed Naomi. 

"What happened?" asked Ross of the crowd of officers. 

One officer, Murphy, responded. "I think our perps just had a cause of heart attack. Half of them died from that thing alone!" 

"That's strange. How can eight people all have heart attacks at the same time? It doesn't make any sense," remarked Ross, at a loss to explain the strange deaths of the mobile suit buyers. 

"Yeah, we'll know more once the coroner files his report. Until then, we'll have to wait," said Murphy. 

Two days passed with Naomi and Ross returning to the station as part of their daily grind. Murphy, rushed up with news for the two. "Ross, you remember those perps we captured a few days ago, the ones that had the heart attack?" 

"Yeah?" asked Ross, unsure of where Murphy was going. 

"Well, the coroner's reports just came in this morning. You won't believe what it says on the report. 

Naomi and Ross read the reports, which came from the coroner office. "Cyanide poisoning?" asked Naomi. 

"Yeah," replied Murphy. "Read the rest of it. It gets interesting." 

Within each of the buyers was an ampoule of cyanide surgically attached to their hearts. The ampoule was controlled by a small electronic device. Upon the sending of a specific radio signal, the device would insert a needle into the heart and allow the poison to seep into the person's blood. This resulting in a quick death that would be passed off as a heart attack to an onlooker. 

"This looks like something out of a spy movie," remarked Ross. 

"Yeah, I was thinking that too," said Naomi. "Here we have a good lead and it's gone like that!" 

"Don't worry, I have good news for you," assured Murphy. "You've been looking for Andy Zimmerman and Ronald McNab, right? Well, eye witnesses have reporting seeing Zimmerman near the Russells Lane neighbourhood. He had been seen entering a David's Supermart in the area." 

"Yeah, thanks Murphy," said Naomi. "Tell the chief we'll be out for a while." 

Ross and Naomi hit the streets of Saint Lowell in pursuit of their lead. They pulled up to a typical supermarket store in a quiet middle-class neighbourhood. The supermarket interior was a large, sanitized room lined with shelves of items used in daily living. There were sections for produce, a butcher's area, an area for frozen foods, and even drugs on sale in this supermarket. The people walked around the aisles of the store, blissfully buying up everything they needed. 

Ross and Naomi sought the store's manager and flashed their IDs to indicate their authority. "Have you seen this man?" asked Naomi. 

The manager looked over the picture of Andy Zimmerman. "Hmm, I don't think so. A lot of people come through the doors so I can't really remember them all." 

"Mind if we check out your security footage from this morning?" asked Ross. 

"Oh sure, just ask Bob to let you in," said the manager. 

The police duo knocked on the door to the camera room which was answered by a somewhat elderly man in a security guard's brown uniform. "Hello Bob, we're with the Martian Police Department," said Ross, who flashed his badge. "We're here to review some security footage for a case." 

Bob let the two police in and showed them the footage taken during the early morning. From 7 am and before, there was no sign of the man they were looking for. The people in the store milled about normally, loading their purchases into carts and paying at the front counters. At around 8:47 am, someone suspicious purchased a fairly large load of groceries from the store and went to pay at the register. Though the face wasn't directly in line with the camera, it drew suspicion from Naomi. 

"Hold it there, Ross," requested Naomi. "Play the scene back from a different angle." 

Ross switched the disks in the machine and replayed the scene once again, starting from the 8:47 am mark. This footage came from the overhead camera positioned above the exit door. That suspicious person wore a cap that served to conceal his face from detection. He paid for his groceries and picked up a pair of filled grocery bags. In doing so, he moved his head just enough for the camera to get a slightly off-side view of his face. It was clear that he was Andy Zimmerman. 

"That's him!" exclaimed Naomi. "Play back some footage of him at the outside." 

Ross did so, playing some footage from an outdoor camera. Andy Zimmerman had left the store on foot and walked up a nearby street crossing on the left of the screen. "Let's check the intersection camera," suggested Ross. 

The duo returned to their car and logged into their police departments network via the computer in their dashboard. After inputting a request, the intersection camera displayed an image of Andy walking westward away from the camera in the crowd of commuters. The duo followed his trail on the camera he walked two blocks west to another intersection. Andy travelled north at this intersection until he entered an apartment building. That building was 117 Russells Lane. 

"We got him!" proclaimed Naomi. "Let's pay him a little visit." 

The duo made their way to this apartment building and flashed their badges to the security guard at the front desk. "MPD, we're here for Andy Zimmerman." 

"He's in room 316 on the third floor," informed the security guard. 

The duo made their way up to his door. Naomi knocked on it. "This is the MPD. Please open the door!" 

Inside, Andy was in the middle of communicating with his handlers. He was alarmed when he heard the police duo asking for him to open the door. His mind immediately leapt to searching for a method of escape. "Baby Blue, are you there? Please respond!" The duo busted the door down and burst in with guns drawn. Andy was nowhere to be found. ""Baby Blue, please respond!" continued the headset. 

Naomi saw the open window and rushed to check outside. She saw Andy running away in the alley below. "He's outside!" 

Naomi climbed out of the window and over the fire escape railing, descending the height of three stories in a single bound. The Third police woman landed in a crouched position before beginning pursuit. She emerged from the alley and found Andy running northward up the street. The boy weaved around pedestrians on the street to throw off the trail of his pursuer. She ran as fast as she could, following the fugitive down the busy street and into a crowed alleyway. Andy leapt over a chain-link fence and continued his escape. 

In a single bound, Naomi leapt onto the fence, stunning the fugitive as he glanced behind him. She made a tremendous leap into the air which landed her on Andy's back. The two fell into a heap but Andy wormed out of the way and attempted to fight. He threw a punch which connected dead on with Naomi's face, but recoiled in pain as though he had struck a brick wall. Naomi was unfazed by the hit. 

She threw a kick with enough speed to raise Andy's eyebrows, despite the fact that he had managed to catch the blow. Andy went for a leg sweep, but instead of tripping her, it helped her segue into a backwards somersault kick to the head. Andy fumbled backwards in a daze, momentarily unaware of his situation. With a final kick to the gut, Naomi planted Andy into the ground. She promptly pinned him face first on the ground and slapped handcuffs on him. 

Ross came down the street in time to see his wife leading the captured man out of the alley. "We got him!" said Naomi triumphantly. 

"Time to go back to the station," murmured Ross, as he guided Andy into the back seat of the squad. Ross and Naomi boarded the car and zoomed off back to the station with their quarry tucked away in the back seat. 

END OF CHAPTER 

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#34 Tenbou, Savage Star: Naomi Armitage (Armitage III)  
#35 Tenkoku, Wailing Star: Ross Syllabus (Armitage III)  
#15 Tenritsu, Star of Standing Spear: "Andy Zimmerman" (Gundam Seed) 

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None 


	4. Magic Story part 1

Zelinko:  
These are characters from the original Gundam series, the UC timeline right? I'm been playing Gundam vs Z Gundam lately, as well as seeing movies on the original Gundam. Yes, it is possible to mix the power types and many anime & cartoon characters do it all the time. Of course, that only works if a particular show actually has a certain power type. I'm not sure if I made it clear enough, but the prohibition on power using and copying has to do with powers that come from an anime/cartoon other than your own, regardless of what type they are. 

For example, Sakura from Cardcaptors is a powerful magician. Even though she is good with magic, it is not a good idea for her to use magic from outside her world, like, say, the Slayers world of Lina Inverse. If Sakura does so, she risks being hit with a severe "reality backlash." So, no Dragon Slaves for Sakura Avalon. In fact, she will get a warning about something like this from her master. This idea is kind of like Paradox from Mage: the Ascension if you're familiar with that game. It's to keep the various characters from becoming too powerful and also serves as a plot point. 

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. 

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible. 

**

The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 

**

Magic Story part 1: Those who Stand Against the Darkness 

It was a beautiful day in the Digital World, the home of the mystical creatures known as Digimon. The sun shone brightly on verdant, grassy lands and great forests. The skies were clear and birds were chirping joyfully as they fluttered about. Down a dirt pathway came a group of children with their Digimon companions. They were a motley crew from all walks of life. The children were known as the Digidestined, guardians of the Digital World. 

Just metres away from the kids were several men and women in headsets. A camera slided across the ground to follow the movement of the children. "...And cut. That was a good take," complimented the director. "We're going to do the Black War Greymon confrontation scene with Cody next. Until then, you're on break." 

One of the Digidestined group, a twelve-year-old Japanese girl, sat down near a cliff overlooking the ocean. The view of the Digital World's deep blue sea was a beautiful sight that reflected the light of a golden sun. The wind picked up and rippled her locks of violet hair. Her name was Yolei and she was an intellectual girl, as evidenced by the glasses she wore. Beside her was her friend and Digimon partner Hawkmon, a small hawk-like creature with a feather stuck in its leather head band. Yolei unpacked her lunch and shared it with partner. 

On the beach below, several work crews were hauling a large stone that was encircled by a ring of gold. The workers, humans and Digimon of varying types, were moving a sacred Digital World artefact out of the sea and replacing it with an imitation prop. This artefact was known as a Destiny Stone, a magical "weight" or nexus which the gods used to maintain balance in the world. So far in the Digimon 02 series, a powerful Digimon named Black War Greymon was destroying these artefacts in his quest to lure out and battle a worthy opponent. The Digidestined made valiant attempts to defend the stones, but were unable to repel the attacks of this monstrous foe. For the next scene, a Digidestined named Cody Hida was to make a stand at this stone. 

A second boy came up to the young Digidestined girl and struck up a conversation. The boy was a brooding child of twelve years of age. His name was Koichi Kimura. Sporting a green overshirt and dark hair, Koichi was a mysterious kid. He was a stagehand as well as an actor for the Digimon series, but starred in its fourth season, Digimon Frontier. In this season, he was a villain for more than half of the series, but turned over to the side of good eventually. He was a Legendary Warrior, a child who possessed Spirits from ancient Digimon which granted great elemental power. His Spirits granted power over the element of darkness. 

"Oh hi Koichi! Are you here to watch the filming?" asked Yolei. 

"Oh yeah," replied Koichi. "I've done my work so I'm taking a break." 

The land suddenly grew dark, as though something was obstructing the sunlight. Koichi and Yolei looked up to see that a cloud had blanketed the sky. It seemed normal enough until, suddenly, several unknown objects descended from the cloud. They were demonic, bird-like creatures which the two kids had never seen before. They were birds with massive, inhuman heads with feathery wings. They had maws filled with sharp teeth and seemed to have a taste for flesh. From the head jutted the torso of a humanoid demon with bird talons for hands. These torsos also served as a clear indication of the gender of each individual demon. 

The two children knew these creatures were hostile. "Watch out!" cried Yolei, as she dove for cover. 

Seeing the threat, the Digimon workers dropped what they were doing and opened fire. Elemental blasts of all types filled the air, from fireballs to bolts of negative energy. A bolt of flame seared a bird demon's wing, knocking the monster straight into the water to drown. A ghost Digimon blasted another with negative energy that caused its body to bleed and lesion. Koichi took this moment to call upon his Spirits of Darkness to transform into a suitable fighting form. 

The young boy was replaced by a being almost as demonic as the birds. The monstrous humanoid had a suit of black armour with the design of bones and demonic beasts on its limbs. The armour had secondary eyes on its joints and on the chest that seemed to move of their own volition. This evil-looking creature was Duskmon, a Digimon created by the power of the Human Spirit of Darkness. Duskmon unsheathed crimson kris blades from his gauntlets and sliced a bird in half. 

To retaliate, Yolei invoked the power of a helmet-like artefact known as the Digiegg of Love. This helmet was actually an egg that was marked the symbol for that emotion, a heart. Using its power, Hawkmon Digivolved, or transformed, into a creature of greater power, Halsemon. As Halsemon, Hawkmon now bore a helmet similar to the one depicted by the Digiegg. With four sharp claws for legs, a sharp beak, and a sleek body covered by brown feathers, he was a agile beast that rushed to defend the artefact with preternatural speed. 

The power of Love flowed through Yolei's body, lighting up its emblem on her forehead in strawberry red light. It granted her power over the element of air, allowing her to grow similarly coloured wings on her back. At the same time, the emblem of Sincerity appeared beside that of Love. Her body became encased in petrified wood that functioned as a protective suit of armour. Yolei followed Halsemon and Duskmon in as they raced to reach the artefact. They cut through waves of birds in an attempt to stop the attack on the Destiny Stone. 

"They're going for the Destiny Stone! Stop them!" cried Duskmon desperately. 

A Greymon, an orange tyrannosaur Digimon, stepped forward to defend this precious mystical artefact. Greymon blew out a fireball, blowing one of the attackers to pieces. A second came at the stone, which Greymon tore into with his toothy maw. Though the Digimon were far greater in power than any of the bird demons, the sheer number of the enemy made up for their weaknesses. More birds came at the Destiny Stone, forcing the Digimon guards to give ground in order to manage the deluge. However, the thieves soon overwhelmed these valiant Digimon and swarmed around the stone like flies to garbage. 

Halsemon's eyes emitted rings of energy which overwhelmed several of the birds. Yolei supported her comrade by generating a fierce, miniature tornado repel the birds and made it difficult to approach the stone. Other birds swarmed Halsemon, who fought back desparately with rings of energy and crushing wind. Yolei amplified Halsemon's winds with her power, making them batter the birds more severely than ever. The birds latched onto the Destiny Stone and proceeded to tow it into the air. 

"NO!" cried Yolei, but she pinned down by birds and unable to do anything about the theft. 

"Oh no you don't!" cried Duskmon, who dove into the birds as a last ditch attempt to stop them. They snatched him by the shoulders and dragged him away. Eventually, he sliced his kidnapper in half, effectively freeing himself. The last thing he saw before landing on the ground were the birds passing into a disk of light in the sky. "Dammit!" cursed Duskmon, as he slammed his blade into the ground. 

Yolei, Halsemon, and the Digimon mopped up the surviving birds. Moments later, the rest of the cast and crew of Digimon entered the scene, only to find the beach a total wreck. There were bodies everywhere, a few from injured Digimon and workers, but most from fallen birds. "If I find out who did this, I'm gonna kill them!" screamed Yolei. 

Davis, the goggles-wearing Digidestined leader, looked over the mess. "Guess this means our show is on hiatus." 

"I've always wanted a vacation anyways," commented Davis' partner Digimon, Veemon, a small blue dragon. 

A blond boy in a fisherman's hat, TK, picked his way through the dead birds. "We can't let them get away with this!" 

"You're right, that's why I want you to let me go get them," stated Yolei, still sore from her experience with the birds. "We can't all just pick up and leave here. The show must go on. I'll have my understudy fill in for me." 

"You're going by yourself, Yolei?" asked the angelic girl, Kari. 

"No, because I'm going with her," stated Koichi. 

"You too, Koichi?" asked Davis. 

"Yeah," replied Koichi simply. "You guys have an anime to film. I'm just a plain old worker. I'm easily replaced. You can spare me to go look for the Destiny Stone." 

"Okay," agreed Davis. "Good luck you two and stay in touch. We want to know how you're doing." 

"Bring us lots of gifts!" demanded Patamon, a flying brown guinea pig with bat wings, TK's partner Digimon. 

"Bye guys! Wish us good luck!" Yolei waved to her friends. 

Thus, Koichi, Yolei, and Hawkmon began their journey in earnest. The three returned home and packed their things in preparation for the big trip. The three reunited at the door to Yolei's apartment. They had no idea what lay ahead of them, but the road was sure to be rough and even dangerous. Little did they know that the theft of the Destiny Stone would lead to something much greater.

* * *

The heroes' investigation took them to a quaint Japanese styled village somewhere in the Digital World. All around was the chatter of Digimon working and Digimon children playing. Most of the Digimon in the city were one of two types. The first were the little green frogs with brass horns around their necks. These Digimon, the Gekomon, were the adults of the village and worked much like the peasants of feudal Japan. The others were Otamamon, little violet tadpoles and the children of the village. Their homes were dimunitive compared to the large height of Yolei and Koichi. They were far too small for any of them with the sole exception of Hawkmon. 

"Is this the place?" asked Yolei. 

"Yeah, the Digimon told us that the birds were nesting in this area. I heard they had chased away several Digimon from their home in the mountains. The survivors fled to this town," replied Koichi. 

"Looks like we'll be evicting a few squatters today," remarked Hawkmon, in his normal, high-class British accent. 

"Yep," agreed Yolei. "Let's ask around the village just to be certain." 

The heroes located an injured baby dinosaur being tended to by one of the older Digidestined, Joe Kido. Joe was a blue-haired, intellectual boy that looked fairly mature for his age, despite only being in the mid-teens. His partner, Gomamon, was a cute seal with snow white fur and violet markings. The boy was tending to the wounds of an Agumon who had been injured during an escape. That Agumon was their lead to the birds' hiding spot. 

"Joe!" cried Yolei to gain his attention. 

"Oh hi Yolei! You're here about the birds aren't you?" asked Joe. 

"Yeah," said Yolei. "I was hoping that the Agumon could tell us something." 

"I'll tell you everything if you can get rid of the birds," offered the Agumon. 

"Sure, tell us what you know," requested Hawkmon. 

"We were living peacefully up in the mountains until three days ago. There was this big flash of light and the birds showed up. They attacked our homes in the northern mountains mercilessly. We tried to fight back but there were just too many of them. We ran and until we ended up here in the Gekomon village." 

"I see, thank you very much, Agumon," said Yolei. 

"After their last attack, I'm sure we've thinned out their numbers greatly," observed Koichi. "Their nest should be lightly guarded, so it should be easy to get the Destiny Stone and go home." 

"Let's go! Destiny Stone, here we come!" cheered Yolei. 

Yolei called upon the Digiegg of Love to Digivolve Hawkmon into Halsemon. The sleek, four-legged gryphon lifted her into the air and carried her northward to the mountains. Just split seconds later, Koichi invoked the power of his Beast Spirit of Darkness. The Spirit transformed him a massive demonic vulture. This three-eyed, violet vulture, Velgamon, was a terrifying creature to behold. Despite his fearsome, unholy appearance, he was actually on the side of good. The heroes flew their way northward until they spotted the birds hovering in the distance. 

The heroes made their landing in the ruins of a Digimon village just at south of the foot of the mountains. The village was just like Agumon described. The houses had been torn to pieces and smashed up. There were chucks of wood, stone, and shards of shattered glass scattered everywhere. Some had been burned and scorched by the Digimon's counter attack in defence of their homes. It was a sad sight, but the heroes had to persevere or else they would encounter more examples of the scene before them. 

The heroes moved to mountains as quietly and as stealthily as they could. They darted from bush to bush and from cover to cover to elude their demonic foes. Though Koichi was right in that the birds lost much of their number, there were still more than enough still present to guard their nest. They came across a valley where the birds seemed to gather in particularly greater numbers. From their cover behind thick brush, the heroes could see what looked like the opening of a portal shimmering in the distance. The portal was a technological contruct, an rounded arch crafted from steel and plastic wires. With their discovery of such an out of place object, they had hit paydirt in their investigation. 

"That thing looks really strange," remarked Hawkmon on the portal. "Do think that these birds were sent by someone else out of the Digital World?" 

"Yeah, they have to be," replied Yolei. "I've never seen anything like these creatures before." 

"Same here. Just look at all those birds. There must be at least two dozen of them up there!" remarked Koichi. 

"They must be guarding that portal for their leader," remarked Hawkmon. "They must have taken the Destiny Stone to the other side." 

"Well, there's only one way to find out," observed Koichi. "I'm turning into Duskmon and sneaking around their back. When I give the signal, you and Hawkmon attack." 

Koichi transformed into Duskmon and secretly made his way to the rear of the ranks of the birds. As the Warrior of Darkness, Duskmon had great powers over the element of darkness. He could create darkness whenever he wanted as well as control it to a great degree. He used these powers to great effect, melting into the shadows and later reforming from a new shadow elsewhere. He eventually wheeled around to the rear of the enemy group and emerged from the darkness. His secondary eyes light up with crimson energy for a Deadly Gaze attack. 

In an instant, several beams of crimson negative energy burst forward, zapping many of the birds in the back. The survivors turned to face the dark warrior who pressed his attack to further aggravate them. The birds swarmed over him, but he fought ferociously in response. His kris blades leapt from bird to bird in a crimson dance of death. Yolei and Hawkmon took this time to begin their attack. The little hawk Digimon transformed into Halsemon again, ready to teach the bird brains not to mess with the Digidestined. He fired salvo after salvo of energy rings which knocked countless birds out of the sky. The bodies of the birds piled and piled up until not a single one remained. 

The heroes operated the portal and stepped in. They found themselves in what looked like a field of grass in parts unknown. There were tents strewn around the portal site, but they had been long abandoned. A series of tire tracks led away from the camp and towards a city in the distance. At the centre of this city was a looming metal mesh radio tower. From this prominent landmark, this city was one of the many anime depictions of Tokyo City, Japan. The heroes looked around the camp, but found nothing that could give them any clues as to the identity of the thieves. Their only lead were the tire tracks on the ground.

* * *

Somewhere in this anime version of Tokyo, a young girl emerged from Reedington Elementary School, a typical school for pre-teen children. Classes were out for the day and the girl waved goodbye to her friends. She donned rollerblades, pads and skated her way back home. The Reedington area was a quiet section of Tokyo, named after a famous foreign wizard and luminary who lived in the area. The girl skated down moderately busy streets with shops and kids returning home. 

This girl, Sakura Avalon, was only ten years of age. This brunette had red, beaded clips that held down locks of hair at her side. These beads looked almost like cherries in her hair. She wore the typical uniform of a girl of her school, a cute, sailor-like uniform. It consisted of a black top, a white mini-skirt, and a matching white hat. Despite being a seemingly ordinary girl, Sakura was actually a very powerful magician in her own right. 

Her magic came from a set of magical, tarot-like cards called the Clow Cards. An invention of the famous Clow Reed, each card represented a force of nature or specific concept which could be called upon for aid. The Clow Cards granted varying powers from the summoning of elemental spirits to shaping magical energy into useful constructs. Through the Clow Cards, one gained a flexibility that was almost unmatched. 

A small creature popped out of an opening in Sakura's backpack. He resembled a small, stuffed animal like a teddy bear. This creature had yellow fur and a pair of white, angelic wings. Going by the name of "Kero," this creature was Sakura's longtime friend and could also be considered her familiar. Appearance-wise, Kero may not be the most intimidating of creatures, but he had a vital role. He was also the guardian beast of the cards. 

"Hey Sakura, you think Tory will make some chocolate cake for desert," asked Kero. 

"I don't know," replied Sakura. "I'm sure whatever he makes will be great." 

Suddenly, the skies darkened as several objects blotted out the sunlight. A frenzy of buzzing filled the air that seemed to draw closer to Sakura's location. The Clow mistress turned around to see a massive horde of what looked like wasps. However, they were not like any wasps she and Kero had ever seen. These demonic creatures were much larger than normal wasps by far. They were about the size of a rabbit. They had large crimson eyes indicating an intent to harm. Their stingers were massive and likely filled with a poison far more potent than their regular cousins. 

"Run Sakura!" screamed Kero. 

Sakura skated down the street as fast as she could. The demonic insects sped up in pursuit, intent on entrapping their quarry. Sakura skated harder than she had ever done in her life. Her adrenaline was pumping and her heart was pounding relentlessly from the sheer terror these horrid creatures instilled in her. The insects gained inch after inch on their prey before Sakura realized that escape was impossible. She turned around and activated the Key of the Clow, a small key chain like a bird's head. It grew large into magical staff which Sakura used to summon the Shield Card. 

A globe of lucid light surrounded her body, protecting her from the stings of the hellish wasps. The Shield Card held out but Sakura didn't know how long that would be with these insects constantly hammering the barrier. She summoned the Firey Card, bringing a flaming female angel into being. The Firey Card incinerated several of the bugs, leaving ash and charred corpses behind. However, the insects turned their attention to the Firey Card and stung the angel in what could only be considered suicidal attacks. Each time they did so, the wasp was incinerated by the immense heat and flames of the angel. They managed to dissipate the offending spirit after sacrificing untold numbers of their swarm to the flames. 

"Sakura, it's been nice knowing you..." commented Kero, fearing his death. 

Sakura's power started to wane and she closed her eyes to brace herself for the inevitable. Instead of death, fortune smiled on her when a blur whizzed by, slicing a massive swath through the ranks of the insects. This surprise attack demolished much of the insects' numbers, though many still remained. Realizing she still lived, Sakura opened her eyes. Through the cloud of hellish wasps, she could see a black knight cutting through the ranks of the enemy. This demonic man fought with a fury and ferocity that Sakura viewed as being inhuman. 

Several high pitched squeeks rang out nearby as rings of energy flew into the ranks of the bugs. The power of the rings sliced each insect it struck into pieces. The shooter, Halsemon, pelted the insects, eventually breaking the cloud that had surrounded Sakura. She breathed a sigh of relief to find that there were still some good Samaritans in the world. A miniature tornado suddenly formed down the street, scooping up hundreds of insects and battered them around like an eggbeater. The wasp population dwindled and dwindled with each kill scored by Sakura's saviours. 

As the coup de grace, the dark warrior drew a circle in the air with his blades. The blades left a circle of red light which turned into a crimson moon. A burst of crimson energy erupted from the moon image and soared through the last remaining wasps, reducing them to ash. It stopped to reveal the dark warrior, who turned into a brooding, but handsome human boy. A girl in glasses rushed to join him, followed by a small hawk-like creature. 

"Are you okay?" asked Yolei. 

"I'm fine, thanks," replied Sakura. "Who are you guys?" 

"I'm Koichi. She is Yolei and he's Hawkmon," replied Koichi, indicating each member of his group. 

"Hawkmon?" asked Sakura, as she took a good look at the little creature. She remembered her lessons on magical creatures as watching Digimon anime on TV. "You mean Hawkmon as in a Digimon?" 

"Why yes," replied Hawkmon. "You seem to know about Digimon." 

"Wow, a real live Digimon! You look cuter in person than on TV. I'm Sakura, and my friend here is Kero," greeted Sakura, showing Kero off. 

"Yep, that's me!" replied Kero. "So you're Digidestined... What brings you to Reedington?" 

"We were looking for some thieves who stole something very valuable to the Digital World; a Destiny Stone," informed Koichi. "We followed them here, but the trail seems to have gone cold." 

"We saw you being attacked so we came to help," admitted Yolei. "Why would those bugs want to attack you?" 

"I'm not sure myself," admitted Sakura. 

"Why don't we invite them over for dinner?" suggested Kero. "It's not everyday you get to have celebreties over at your house. I'd like to talk with them more over dinner." 

"If it's okay with you guys then, sure, that would be wonderful," replied Koichi. 

Thus, Sakura and Kero ended up inviting the two Digimon heroes over for dinner. Upon reaching the home, Sakura's brother, Tory, invited them in. "Well hello cutey, I'm Yolei, nice to meet you!" greeted Yolei with a playful flirtatiousness. 

"That's my brother Tory," said Sakura with a hint of ennui. 

A second man in glasses came up to greet the guests. He looked very much like Sakura. "Hi Sakura, are these friends of yours?" asked the man, Sakura's dad, Aiden. 

"Yeah, sort of..." replied Sakura. "I invited them over for dinner if that's okay. Kero and I wanted to talk to them." 

"Sure, come in," said Aiden. 

While seated around the table, the group began discussing the events that brought them together. Koichi, Yolei, and Hawkmon introduced themselves once again, and narrated their journey starting from the theft of the Destiny Stone at the hands of bird demons. After locating the lair of these creatures in some mountains, they used their portal and found an abandoned camp with tire tracks leading to Tokyo City. At that point the trail went cold. They were walking in the Reedington area when they found Sakura under attack and moved in to save her. 

"You weren't hurt were you?" asked Aiden. 

"Oh no, they saved me from the bees," said Sakura. 

"It's a good thing you three were around to save the little squirt," said Sakura's brother, Tory. 

"I noticed some kind of magic shield protecting you while we were fighting," remarked Hawkmon. "You have some special powers, don't you Sakura?" 

"Sakura is a powerful magician," replied Kero. "Around here, certain people can use the magic of the Clow cards to do all sorts of wonderful things." 

Kero gave a description of the Clow cards and how they were used. To use magic, Sakura activated the Key of the Clow, which enlarged itself into a rod. She then called the name of the card she wanted to use and the effect happened. Most Clow cards summoned a spirit of some kind which created the effects that Sakura desired. What happened depended on the actual card used. Against the bees, Sakura used the Shield card, which creates defensive barriers, and the Firey card, which summons a flaming angel. 

"Cool!" remarked Yolei. 

"I could see some people wanting to get the magic of these 'Clow cards' at any cost..." remarked Koichi. 

"Yep, that's why Sakura has to keep a close guard on them in case of thieves," said Kero. "You said that your trail went cold?" 

"That's right, we were hoping that someone could give us a lead," said Koichi. 

"Hmm, sorry, I haven't seen anything like those birds or the Destiny Stone. However, I do know someone who might be able to help," said Kero. "His name is Clow Reed. He's a powerful magician. I'm sure he could point you in the right direction." 

"Where can we find him?" asked Yolei. 

"You can't find him. We'll have to take you to him," replied Kero. 

"It's too late for you guys to bother Reed. You should visit tomorrow. For now, why don't you stay over for the night?" offered Sakura's father, Aiden. 

"Thank you Mr. Avalon. We really appreciate all that you've done for us," said Yolei. 

The father showed Koichi, Yolei, and to their rooms. Since the Avalon home was so small, the heroes had to share rooms with Tory and Sakura. Koichi shared Tory's room which was typical fare for a high school or college age man. Yolei was to share a room with Sakura, who fetched a set of futons from her dad's closet. Sakura's room was typical for a girl her age, with a desk for studies and stuffed dolls on the shelf that served as the bed's headboard. In her drawer, there was even a cute little bedroom for Kero to stay in during the night. 

The next day, Sakura led the heroes down Reedington's streets to a mysterious shop. Its golden sign read "Reed's Mysticism" written in black ink. It as a building decorated by mystical symbols such as the pentagram. Reed's Mysticism had various occult items and equipment on display in its store window. They included exotic herbs, tonics, medallions, and scrolls. The store radiated an aura of magical power that everyone in her group could feel. Sakura led the heroes to the shopkeeper, who was waiting behind the payment counter. This shopkeeper was a young Japanese woman with long auburn hair, and a flirty, playful aura. 

"Hi Ruby!" greeted Sakura. 

"Oh hi Sakura!" greeted Ruby in return. "Are you here to see master Reed?" 

"Yep," replied the young Clow card mistress. "I'm taking my friends to meet him." 

"Sure, he's been expecting you. Go right on up to the portal," said Ruby. 

"This way," said Sakura, gesturing to her entourage. 

She led them to a silver mirror in one of the back rooms. This mirror had a silver frame with a series of runes engraved along its length. It cast out a strong magical aura that everyone could sense. Sakura attempted to walk into the mirror, which triggered the artefact's magical properties. A shimmering doorway appeared over the surface of the mirror, showing Clow Reed's abode on the other side. The heroes followed her in to find themselves in a home as strange as the store itself. They looked around and noticed strange art-like exhibits on display, one of which looked like a golden, gyroscopic representation of a solar system. 

Sakura led them straight to her master, a middle-aged man reading some books in a chair. This intellectual man wore glasses, a set of long magician's robes, and had long black hair. He had a powerful, mysterious, and supernatural aura about him. This man was none other than Clow Reed, the great magician, and Sakura's mentor. A boy was waiting with Clow Reed in the room. This Chinese boy had brown hair and wore street clothes. He was clearly bored out of his mind sitting around in the room doing nothing. 

"Shaoran, you're here too?" asked Sakura. 

"That's right, Sakura, I called him here to meet you," announced Reed. "I take it that these people are Koichi, Yolei, and Hawkmon, am I right?" 

"How do you know who we are?" asked Koichi. 

"Simple, I foresaw your coming. You are here to find the Destiny Stone, correct?" asked Reed. 

"Yeah," said Yolei. "We were wondering if you could give us any clues." 

"I'm sorry, but no. The stone is somewhere beyond where my powers can reach. However, I'd rather we talk about an even greater matter, one that concerns everyone all of the anime worlds," suggested Reed mysteriously. 

"What do you mean?" asked Yolei. 

"There is a great darkness looming in the worlds of anime. This darkness, this evil, is like nothing anyone has ever seen. No Toon, no world, will be spared from its depredations," warned Reed. "Sakura, you've been attacked by its agents recently, haven't you?" 

"Yeah, those bugs!" replied the mistress of the Clow with disgust. 

"This evil is more powerful than anything that has ever set foot on the worlds," continued Reed. "However, there is hope. I have forseen that many, many people will band together to oppose this evil. Among them will be 108 very special individuals who stand above the rest. They will be the greatest leaders and most powerful heroes among those who oppose the darkness. They are known as the 108 Stars of Destiny." 

Clow Reed gestured for a Clow card, making the Move Card appear in his hand. The tarot-like card depicted a table with a pair of large angelic wings. The card glowed momentarily and a rumbling approached the group. The sound came from a set of three granite tablets that radiated a light magical aura. These tablets had various words engraved on it that only Reed could understand. Under the strange words were the names of some people that the heroes weren't familiar with. 

"These tablets mark the names of the 108 stars and the individual that holds the position of that star," continued Reed. "The leftmost tablet lists the 36 Stars of Heaven, or Heavenly Leaders, who will lead the armies against the darkness. The other two list the names of the 72 Stars of Earth, or Earthly Warriors, people of these armies who will distinguish themselves as well as those who play a more supportive, but important role in the war nonetheless." 

Suddenly, a set of names appeared on the tablets. Koichi's named appeared under the slot for the "Tenyu" star on the Heavenly Leaders tablet. "Hey! That's my name!" 

At the same time, Yolei and Hawkmon's name appeared under the "Tenmou" star designator on the same tablet. "We have the same star?" asked Yolei. 

"Yes, you may be two different individuals, but you are not complete without the other," replied Reed. 

More names appeared on the tablets, this time Sakura's under the Chiku star, Shaoran under the Chiyou star, and even Clow Reed under the Chizen star. All of them were on the Earthly Warriors' tablets. "Us too?" asked Shaoran. 

"Yeah," replied Reed. "All of us are individuals who stand against the darkness. Koichi, Yolei, Hawkmon, by searching for the Destiny Stone, you have placed yourselves in direct conflict with this evil. Sakura, after you resisted its attack yesterday, you too have become another one of this evil's opponents. That is why I called you here today, Shaoran. I want you to travel with the others and help them." 

"Of course, Master Reed," said Shaoran. 

"You have a very important task to complete. At this moment, there is a place that is under siege by the darkness," informed Reed. "There, you can find others who will join you, as well as more information on the true nature of this evil." 

"What is this place?" asked Hawkmon. 

"It is a temple where dragon priests worship their god. It is in the fantasy world of 'Slayers,' which is much like the worlds in those role-playing games out there today. The Slayers world is a low-tech world where people practice magic different from the kind we use. I will open a gateway to this location with my power." 

"We will, thank you very much master Reed," said Koichi. 

"Oh, one more thing," interjected Reed. "Whatever you do there, do not attempt to use the Slayers world magic unless you are doing it from an artefact of some kind." 

"Got it," replied Shaoran. 

"Why not?" asked Sakura. 

"Remember your lessons, Sakura, and you will understand," replied Reed. 

Sakura tried to recollect the lesson her master, Clow Reed, taught her. She remembered sitting in front of Reed as he lectured about the nature of various powers in other worlds. He came onto the topic of the Law of Exponential Paradox. Simply put, it said that using the powers of a foreign world caused a clash with powers already present in an individual, resulting in harmful backlashes. The consequences were unpredictable, which made power duplication a real gamble where the house always wins in the end. 

In this case, if she tried to cast the magic of the Slayers world, any of a number of things could happen. She could lose control of the spell, become mutated, or even forget how to use Clow magic entirely. There were only a few exceptions to this rule, mostly involving Science powers and the use of artefacts. If she used an artefact with a pre-programmed effect, like a magic wand, she could use the power safely. In his lesson, Reed recommended that one should always use an artefact created by the natives if Sakura wanted to use their magic. 

"The Law of Exponential Paradox!" answered Sakura. 

"Sheesh, I knew that one already!" mocked Shaoran. 

"Now, now, Shaoran, it's a good thing she remembered. It could have been very dangerous for you all if she forgot and then tried to use Slayers magic after seeing someone else do it. The same goes for you too, Koichi, Yolei, and Hawkmon," warned Clow Reed sternly. "Don't use their powers and you'll be safe." 

"Okay, we won't use their magic," replied Koichi. 

"Good," said Clow Reed. "Take this pin. It will let you communitcate with me." Reed attached a golden pin to Sakura's collar. "I will now open the way to the temple Good luck to you all!" Reed called upon the Return, Time, and Move cards. Weaving the powerful magics of these Clow cards together, Reed created a shimmering portal of silver light. He waved as the heroes entered the portal to great adventures on the other side. 

END OF CHAPTER 

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#6 Tenyu, Star of Heroic Ferocity: Koichi Kimura (Digimon)  
#7 Tenmou, Star of Swift Courage: Yolei & Hawkmon (Digimon) 

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#61 Chizen, The Silent Star: Clow Reed (Cardcaptors)  
#83 Chiyou, The Magic Star: Shaoran Li (Cardcaptors)  
#87 Chiku, The Empty Star: Sakura Avalon/Kero (Cardcaptors) 


	5. Magic Story part 2

Digifan:  
Oh yes, it really is. You'll see someone actually run afoul of it very soon. 

Gijinka Renamon:  
There are multiple reasons why I simply prefer to have Duskmon and Velgamon this time. I never got a chance to show the whole of the corrupt Darkness' evolutionary line so I'm doing it here. Also, Duskmon has a two-bladed fighting style and is fearsome just like the Suikoden 3 character who held the Star of Heroic Ferocity, Yuber the Black Knight. In this fic, continuity-wise, Koichi's Spirits have always been Duskmon and Velgamon. Lowemon and Jager Lowemon were made up for the anime. 

See the Suikosource website for more info on Yuber. 

Kite Lanford:  
To be cleaer, it must be the artefact that generates the effect entirely. The key idea is that ** only the artefact's energy ** produces the effect. Sakura must not and can not generate any of the magical energy needed to create a Dragon Slave herself. Nothing, nada, zilch... Even if she uses the slightest amount of magical energy, she'll pay the price. It's a technicality, I'll admit, but a very vital one. 

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. 

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible. 

**

The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 

**

Magic Story part 2: Slayers Omnipotence 

The portal led the magical heroes to the northern fringes of a village somewhere in the middle of a vast desert. In the southwest was a great, glimmering oasis which also provided the villagers with life-giving water. The water allowed the grass and palm trees to grow in this harsh climate. Most importantly, it enabled the farmers to grow the crops their people needed for nourishment. The great village was constructed of mostly mortar and wood from the palm trees, but had been greatly damaged by an intense armed conflict. The signs of war were omnipresent from smashed dragon head ornaments to ruined buildings. This town was every bit like Clow Reed had described. 

As a village in a low-technology world, there were no modern conveniences to be found. Despite the lack of technology, the people were a hard working lot who did their best to survive and now recover from the ravages of the war. For people who lived in the hot, sunny desert, they were surprisingly fair-skinned. Each individual was garbed in robes and hoods which shielded their skin from harmful sunlight. The most elegantly dressed among them were the leaders and the learned individuals of their people. In exchange for eschewing the scientific studies, they developed magic and magical practice. These learned ones were priests and priestesses in immaculate white robes and magicians in robes of other varying colours like their favoured elements. 

Yolei clasped her hands to together in dreamy admiration of Shaoran Li. "You know, Shaoran, you're one of the cutest boys I've ever met. Maybe when this all over, we can go out some time, hmm?" 

Shaoran, embarrassed by Yolei's romantic overtures, turned beet red. Sakura was irritated. "Ahem, looks like you're got a rival in love, Sakura," remarked Kero impishly. That remark made Sakura blush. 

"Oh shut up, you stuffed animal!" cried Shaoran in response. 

"Who are you calling a stuffed animal?" asked Kero with indignation. 

Hawkmon just sighed. "Oh brother..." 

The group continued on until they were stopped at the gates by local guards. After checking up the heroes, they let them enter the village. The heroes were taken aback by the sheer devastation of the place. They began to question the villagers to learn more about the village's situation. "What happened here?" Yolei asked to one of the priestesses. 

"It was the outsiders," replied the priestess. "They've been attacking our village for days." 

"Outsiders?" asked Koichi. 

"Yes," replied the priestess. "They appeared about a month ago to the east. They came at us with armies of demons and machines to destroy our homes and desecrate our sacred temple. From then on, we've been fighting them ever since. We were barely able to hold out and would have been overrun had it not been for the aid of the Dragon Spooker and her companions." 

"Dragon Spooker?" asked Koichi. 

The priestess looked around warily as though in fear of being overheard. "Dragons step past her out of clear revulsion. That's Lina Inverse, a powerful sorceress. Don't tell me you haven't heard of her, have you?" 

"No, we're not from around these parts," replied Shaoran. 

"Where is she now?" asked Sakura. 

"She's helping out at the Fire Dragon King's temple. You can find the temple by following the path south out of town. There's not much to see there, though. You're better off just staying here." 

"Okay, thanks a lot," said Sakura. 

The magical heroes followed the directions given by the priestess. The sandy stone path led to a great mountain rising prominently above the sandy wastes. On the side of the mountain jutted the effigy of a great dragon's head. This dragon head was like a guardian for the stone doorway below it. Before this doorway were rows of stone pillars that ran alongside the length of the road to the entrance. A pair of guards flanked this doorway that seemed intent on keeping unwanted individuals from entering the holy ground. The heroes approached the doorway and were stopped by the men as expected. 

"Halt! Who goes there?" asked the lead guard. 

"We're new people hired to defend the temple. Please let us in," said Yolei. 

The guard chuckled. "Ha ha ha, yeah yeah... Go home. Come back when you're old enough to lift up a sword. Ha ha ha!" 

The magical heroes withdrew from the entrance to rethink their course of action. "Well, that went well..." remarked Yolei sarcastically. 

Shaoran examined the area around the temple and came up with another idea. "There might be another way in... This temple is inside the mountain isn't it? Maybe we can use the Through card?" 

"Great idea! We can use it to create a hole into the temple!" remarked Sakura. 

"Well, if we're going to sneak in, we should go somewhere less conspicuous," recommended Koichi. "We should make sure we're putting the hole in the right place." 

"I can do that. Just leave it to me!" announced Yolei. 

The magical heroes moved to the back of the temple, out of the way of prying eyes. Through the channelling of her power, Yolei formed the glowing green, teardrop-like Crest of Sincerity in her hands. Several vines took root in the ground and began to burrow through the sand. She continued to channel her powers, making the roots of the plants grow to ever greater lengths. After a few seconds, the roots came upon an area where it was surprisingly easy to move in. Since movement was so easy, it implied that they had entered into an empty space. Yolei continued to grow the roots to get a better idea of where space's boundaries were. 

"Shaoran, don't move," ordered Yolei. "I think I've found a room under where you're standing. I don't know what's in there so we should scout it out before we go in." 

"Kero, could you take a look before we go in?" asked Sakura. 

"Sure," he replied. 

The Clow Mistress invoked the Through card, which summoned a robed, female spirit carrying a black disk. The spirit placed the disk on the ground in front of Shaoran, opening a small entrance to a room below. From the hole, the heroes could see what looked like a sack of flour. Kero flew down into the hole and scouted the room out. It was merely a pantry where the temple's rations were stored. The shelves were filled with jars of sauces and seasonings as well as preserved meat and vegetables. There were racks with kitchen utensils and slabs of dried meat lined up in neat rows. Fortunately, no one was inside the room at the time. 

Kero exited the hole. "Okay, the coast is clear." 

Sakura widened the hole and everyone jumped in. For the next phase, the group was to make contact with a prominent person, such as the head priest or Lina Inverse, and tell them their story. Koichi summoned the powers of darkness and cloaked his group in a tar-like coating of darkness. It felt cool to the touch and protective in a somewhat eerie way. "Eew, what is this stuff?" asked Sakura. 

"It's a special coating of darkness," replied Koichi. "It will hide you as long as you stay within the shadows." 

In other words, the group would be invisible as long as they remained in the darkness and the shadows. The group snuck out of the pantry and through the kitchen. They snuck by a blond, armoured man and a red-head woman wolfing down food like slobs in the mess hall. The group traversed stony hallways, making sure to remain within the shadows for cover whenever possible. The group rounded the corner to another hallway where they heard footsteps approaching. The group scattered to hide within any set of shadows they could find. 

The footsteps came closer came from a swordsman with turquoise, stony skin. The man was cloaked in a beige tunic, cloak, and pants. He didn't look like a typical human due to his skin, as well as his mussed grey hair and pointed ears. The man walked down the hallway casually, not noticing the presence of the group hiding within the shadows. Sakura shifted around and her shoe knocked a small stone out of the darkness. "Hmm?" asked the man upon hearing the sound. 

He searched around, trying to figure out what had caused the noise, and found the stone on the ground near the edge of the shadow. The position of his head placed the direction of his gaze straight at Sakura's face. Sakura froze up and gazed back at him with bated breath. However, the man wasn't able to see Sakura, nor what had moved the stone. The man looked around the area for a good ten seconds but still couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. He eventually gave up his search and continued on his way. Once he was out of the area, Sakura rested herself against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Oh, that was so scary!" she remarked. 

"That guy looks very important," commented Shaoran. "I think we should follow him. He might lead us to the person in charge." 

The group tailed the man, who was actually going to the mess hall they had passed by earlier. "Gourry, how long are you going to be?" asked the man. 

"I'm almost done. Give me a few more seconds," replied the blond man as he continued to wolf down food. 

"Well, could you hurry it up? You're making Filia wait." 

"Sure," said the man. He cleaned out his current plate and reclined to give his bloated stomach some room. "Oh yeah, that hit the spot." 

"Lina, Filia needs to see you about a half hour later. Don't keep her waiting!" informed Zel. 

"Okay," replied the red head as she continued to wolf down her meal. 

Gourry followed Zel to wherever it was that Filia was waiting, leaving Lina all alone in the mess hall. After wolfing down one more plate of food, the young woman reclined on her chair to ease the pressure on her bloated belly. The magical heroes decided to let their female members do the talking to Lina. The boys hid in the shadows and watched as Yolei, Hawkmon, and Sakura approached the sorceress. The two prepare themselves to jump into battle at a moment's notice should things turn sour. 

"Did you enjoy that meal?" asked Yolei as she stepped out of the shadows and approached Lina. 

"Ahh!" gasped Lina as she nearly fell out of her seat. She put some distance from the girls and prepared to draw her short sword. "Who are you?" 

"I'm Yolei Inoue, he's Hawkmon," introduced Yolei. 

"I'm Sakura Avalon and my little friend is Kero." 

"What are you doing here?" asked Lina. 

"We're looking for Lina Inverse," replied Sakura. "Are you her?" 

"Yeah that's right, what do you want with me?" 

"We came here to help you," replied Sakura. "My master, Clow Reed, told us that a great evil is threatening to all of the anime worlds. He said we could learn more about it if we helped you protect this temple." 

"It has already attacked my world and has even attacked Sakura," added Hawkmon. "We need to talk to the leader of this temple. Please take us to him or her. If we don't warn them, there will be big trouble." 

"Well duh, haven't you seen the town," remarked Lina sarcastically before falling silent to think. Although she didn't realize it, Lina was able to see the sincerity within their eyes as they told her about their plight. "Hmm, Clow Reed, Clow Reed... I don't know, but something tells me I should believe you. Okay, follow me. As long as you stay by me, you'll be fine." 

"Thank you very much," replied Yolei. "Koichi, Shaoran, you can come out now!" 

Koichi emerged from the shadows and waved to his team mates and Lina. Shaoran followed moments later but merely nodded in affirmation. Lina led the children to the heart of the temple where many injured men and women laid on futons on the ground. A young blonde woman standing at the centre, tending to these soldiers. This slender, graceful woman was a priestess of this temple and carried herself with great dignity. She was clothed in a priestess' uniform, an ensemble consisting of an immaculate white robe, white boots, a pink bell dress, and a round, pointed white cap. Lina introduced her as Filia Ul Copt, a member of the golden dragon race and a priestess of the Fire Dragon King. The heroes introduced themselves to the priestess and narrated their story. 

"So, you say this evil is the same one that's been attacking my temple?" asked Filia. 

"Yes," replied Koichi. "We were sent here to help you defend this place and to find out more about it." 

"I appreciate your help but what can you kids do to help us defend the temple?" asked Filia. 

"We can do a lot," replied Yolei. 

Shaoran was annoyed but managed to keep his cool. "All of us have great magical powers. Me and Sakura are masters of Clow magic and the others are associated with Digimon and the powers of the Digital World." 

"We can fight the bad guys just as hard as you can!" proclaimed Yolei. 

"Reed, Reed... Ah, now I remember!" exclaimed Lina as she had an epiphany. "Clow Reed toured around the world to study the workings of magic." 

"You know Clow Reed?" asked Sakura. 

"Well not personally, but I did bump into him for about a minute," replied Lina. 

"We're his students. Master Reed taught us everything he knew about magic," repeated Shaoran. 

"What's the situation right now?" asked Koichi. "What is the strength of the enemy and where are they coming from?" 

"They come from the east," replied Filia. "From last count, they had two hundred soldiers equipped with modern weapons like assault rifles. They are supported by over five hundred demons of various kinds. So far, we've held them off, but our armies are fatigued. We can't keep this up for much longer. One of our people went to get help, but they won't be back for another week." 

"Wow, that's a lot of force," remarked Koichi. "They must really want something to go to so much effort. Hmm... I might be able to get some help to defend the temple. Can you guys hold down the fort while I go ask?" 

"Sure, we'll take care of things here, Koichi," replied Yolei. 

"Okay," said Koichi. He pressed some buttons on a handheld device, a Digivice, before pointing it at an empty space. "Digiport open!" 

A swirling vortex of data and light opened and dragged Koichi into the Digital World. After a wait of about two hours, a second portal opened in the temple courtyard. Koichi emerged from this portal, but did not come alone. Following him was a platoon consisting of about three dozen Digimon of various kinds transporting supplies in their hands. All of them were Beast-type Digimon of around the lower middle, or Champion level of strength. These creatures were a motley crew and included fierce dinosaurs, dragons, and other types of creatures. 

"Okay move those crates over there," ordered the Warrior of Darkness. 

The creatures made a ruckus as they came in, prompting Filia and the others to go investigate. "Koichi! You're back!" said Yolei. 

"Yep," he replied. "Cherubimon sent three dozen of his best soldiers to help us." 

"Now that's a lot of troops," remarked Filia. "Is it alright to have these beasts walking around the temple like that?" 

"It's alright, the Digimon won't bite," commented Yolei as she watched them set up camp in front of the temple. "They're house bred too." 

Gourry and Zel came out of the temple to check on the commotion. "Whoa monsters!" cried Gourry as he reached for his sword. 

"Don't worry, they're our reinforcements," corrected Filia. 

"Did Amelia come back already?" asked Zel. 

"No, they're with the children who came to us," replied Filia. 

Zel, whose name was short for Zelgadiss, watched as these fearsome Digimon set up a camp near the temple. Koichi broke away from the working monsters to report to Filia. "With the help of Cherubimon's forces we should be able to hold out until the real reinforcements arrive." 

"Good work!" remarked the dragon priestess. "I think the arrival of your forces will really boost morale. Once everyone sees how these strong monsters are fighting on our side, they'll think they can win the war."

* * *

A week had passed with no activity from the enemy camp. It was eerily quiet, like the moments of calm just before a great storm hit. It was at this moment that something important usually happened. Amelia's reinforcements were due to arrive at the temple any moment now. With them and the extra military force from the Digimon, the Fire Dragon King's guardians would be able to reverse their fortunes and go on the offensive. It was lunch time and the magical heroes gathered in the temple mess hall for their meal. 

The main course was a dish of fried fish in batter served with a side of salad. Gourry and Lina were up to their usual high jinks, wolfing down plate after plate of food. Since their table manners were so atrocious, everyone else ate their meal at a different table to avoid being soiled by the food being scattered around. "Are they always like that?" asked Yolei. 

"Yep, pretty much," replied Zelgadiss nonchalantly as he continued eating. 

"How do you put up with them?" asked Hawkmon. 

"Well, Lina, Gourry, and I tend to travel a lot together. We even filmed the Slayers anime together," replied Zelgadiss, who finished another bite. "I guess you can say that I've been around them so long, I've become accustomed to it." 

"I'm still curious to know, what is so important about this temple?" asked Koichi. "Considering all the lengths they are going to get the temple, the enemy seems to want something very valuable." 

"Well, there are a lot of magical artefacts here so it is a big target for thieves," replied Zelgadiss. 

Koichi wasn't totally convinced by Zel's reason. Filia burst into the mess hall with urgent news. "Everybody, the enemy is moving out. Come to the congregation room immediately!" The magical heroes and Zelgadiss got up and left the room, leaving Lina and Gourry still pigging out on the food. "You too! The enemy isn't going to wait for you to finish eating!" 

After Lina and Gourry cleaned out their current plate, everyone made their way to the prayer room as Filia commanded. She began a briefing on the movements of the invading army. The enemy had called in for some reinforcements and had almost doubled their total military power. They were sending about half of their army to attack the temple while the rest stayed back to defend their camp. The enemy was coming from the east as usual and would be in range of the temple and town in about twenty minutes. During these precious minutes, the temple's defenders prepared for battle. 

A bell rang out in the town of the dragon worshippers, rallying the people to action. Soldiers and civilians fortified their homes, bunkers, and bulwarks in preparation for the great invasion. Priest, priestesses, and magicians chanted holy and arcane spells to fortify the town in barriers of magical energy. The people moved quickly, setting up their defences with enough time left over to catch their breath. It wasn't long before the lookouts spotted the great army advancing over the horizon. The lookouts sounded the alarm and the battle began. 

The enemy army consisted of humanoid soldiers leading a much larger army of demonic creatures. There must have been almost a thousand demons advancing with nearly half that number in human soldiers behind them. While the soldiers looked and were equipped like typical soldiers, the demons were a motley bunch in comparison. They included the familiar bird demons that had stolen the Destiny Stone a while back. The second major type of demon was the oni; giant, ogre-like creatures brandishing massive clubs. The rest were less numerous and unique, from legions of undead creatures to other unholy monstrosities. 

From a distance, squads of magicians chanted Fireball spells into the advancing army. The flaming spheres exploded on contact with whatever they struck, whether it was an enemy or the ground. The spells demolished some of the weaker demons, while the others dodged or resisted the spells and continued their advance. The sky rumbled as hundreds of dragons burst out of the town to greet the enemy's frontline. Gunshots filled the air as the enemy soldiers opened fired. Digimon troops advanced on the ground and pounced on unsuspecting enemy forces. The two groups clashed in the middle with bolts of energy soaring back and forth. 

Velgamon took to the air and rained dark destruction upon the enemy forces. His Dark Vortex eye beams struck an oni, blowing a massive hole into his chest. Several of the bird demons flocked around the massive dark vulture as a challenge to his might. Through sheer power, his wings buffeted the birds away and into the ground like the pests they were. Sakura summoned the mighty Earthy card, bringing forth a female spirit of the earth which shook the earth. Her attack felled several of the land-based demons to the ground, leaving them disabled long enough for Velgamon to trace a massive circle on the ground around them. The Dark Obliteration attack formed a massive black hole which devoured them all. 

Hawkmon Armour Digivolved into his Shurimon form, a ninja in white garb with vine-mounted shuriken for appendages. Shurimon spun his shuriken rapidly and tossed it into a demon. The ninja weapon sliced through the monster's body like a buzz saw, sawing it cleanly in half. This attack gave Lina the opening to start chanting a spell. "Wind, crimson flame. Grant the power of thunder to my hand! Digger Volt!" A massive lightning bolt erupted from the palm of her extended arm, annihilating every demon within its path. 

Yolei summoned a towering funnel of swirling wind which unerringly hovered towards a group of demons. The fierce winds scooped the demons from the ground one after the other and whirled them around high in the air. Shaoran waved his sword about to calling upon the Firey card, bringing the flaming angel into the world. With the fearsome roar of flames, the Firey card swirling around in synchronization of the tornado's winds. These winds fanned the flames ever so greatly until it engulfed the tornado and incinerated all caught within its grasp. 

Zelgadiss and Gourry fought their way past the enemy's demonic front lines towards the more vulnerable soldiers in the rear. The men turned their weapons on him and rained bullets endlessly to halt their advance. Unfazed, Zel raised a barrier of pure magic to protect them as they inched towards the soldiers. The bullets came to a dead halt upon striking the barrier, causing several sparks to burst in the air. Once in range Gourry slashed his Sword of Light in a wide arc which cut down nearly half a dozen soldiers. The soldiers scattered to avoid the wrath of the enraged swordsman. 

"Earth below me, submit to my will! Dug Haut!" chanted Zel as he gathered magical energy in his hand. He plunged it to the ground, causing several spikes of stone to shoot out of the ground in a line which hurtled several of the enemy soldiers into the air. 

At that moment, a second army appeared in the north headed by a pair of violet-haired princesses. "Aya hah hah hah hah!" laughed the first like a hyena. This elder sister was a tall woman who towered over her shorter sibling. She was a very buxom woman clad in a violet cloak, mystic jewellery, and a scandalous leather bikini. "Never fear! The great Naga the Serpent is here!" 

"That's right! Run away evil doers 'cause Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, champion of justice, is on the prowl!" boasted the second sister, who was clothed in white and perched at the top of a tall sand dune. She struck a triumphant pose as the emphasis of her point. 

Amelia and Naga's Saillune army charged southwards and clashed with the sea of bodies that made the enemy forces. Naga chanted an Icicle Lance spell, which fatally wounded a demon as it was impaled by a spear of sharp, solid ice. The soldiers of Amelia's home country slashed at an oni while their archers pelted the monster with a hail of arrows. The oni whacked at the sea of soldiers with its club and kicked several more with tremendous force. The soldiers landed sprawled in piles scattered around the area. Amelia rushed to their aid, channelling positive energy through her being as Recovery spells to heal the wounded. 

With the enemy army outnumbered and flanked from the north, their numbers and morale dwindled rapidly. The call for retreat came from deep within their ranks. As they fled across the eastern horizon, the temple's defenders cheered their great, decisive victory. "Yeah, we won!" cheered Yolei with the chorus of templar. 

The magical heroes, Lina's mercenaries, and the princesses gathered in the mess hall to celebrate their major victory that day. "Amelia, you came after all," said Gourry. 

"Well, I couldn't miss all the action now. Wherever evil rises up, I'm there to smack it back down," stated Amelia. Zel came into the mess hall to eat. "Oh hi Zel, I missed you so mu... uh... uh!" As the princess moved to greet him, she tripped over a log of firewood. Zel caught the girl in his arms, causing the two of them to blush. 

Shaoran watched the whole ordeal as he ate a leg of chicken. "She's even clumsier than Sakura," he remarked mentally. 

"Looks like somebody is in love..." remarked Naga impishly. 

"Hey, we're just friends!" objected Amelia, still blushing. Naga merely laughed off her weak response like a hyena. Amelia made a weird face at that laugh and decided to switch the subject. "Ahem, does anyone know where those kids are? You know, the ones who helped us defend the temple? I'd like to talk to them." 

"They're over at the table just across from me," replied Lina, wolfing down a plate of chicken and vegetables. 

"Thanks Lina." Amelia fetched her meal and took it to the table where the magical heroes sat. "Hi kids, mind if I eat here with you?" 

"Oh no, go right ahead," said Sakura. 

"Thanks! It's great to be in the company of other champions of justice," began Amelia. "How did you get those monsters to help us?" 

"You can thank Koichi for that," said Shaoran as he ate his dinner. 

"I'm a Legendary Warrior from the Digital World, one of ten," replied Koichi. "I'm the Warrior of Darkness to be precise. I have a lot of influence with Cherubimon, who's one of the leaders of the Digital World." 

"I'm surprised that a 'Warrior of Darkness' would come all the way out here just to fight evil doers," remarked Amelia. "I think that's pretty cool. You guys must have fought evil doers a lot back in the Digital World. In my book, you're all heroes, every one of you." 

"Heroes? Well, that's probably more true of Yolei and Koichi. We're just magicians where we come from. We got dragged into this when they attacked Sakura," admitted Shaoran nonchalantly. 

"...But you're trying to save the world too, right? You want to stop these evil doers, don't you? They've besieged this temple and you've done more than your share to help us to drive them away. You're champions of justice too!" 

"Yeah, yeah whatever..." said Shaoran indifferently. 

"So guys, what do you think? Do we have room for another?" asked Yolei. 

"Are you saying what I think you're saying? If so, then I'd love to join you guys!" exclaimed Amelia. "That way, I can bring the light of justice to wherever evil chooses to hide!" 

"Hmm, looks like a 'yes,'" observed Hawkmon. "It would be nice to bring someone along who is good at healing all those bumps and bruises we get." 

"What about the rest of you?" asked Yolei. The others agreed to her request without any objections. Amelia was in. 

"Welcome to the team, Amelia," said Koichi.

* * *

Two days passed before the group convened in the congregation room at the center of the temple. Filia gave a briefing on the situation at the current moment. After yesterday's great battle, the greatest danger to the Fire Dragon King's temple had passed. Now, it was time to go on the offensive and drive the enemy from the lands of the gold dragons permanently. As she described the strategy, Filia drew symbols on a clear sheet of film overlaid above a map of the area. Her first drawings were of the various armies and their positions on the proverbial chess board. 

The enemy's base was constructed out of the side of a mountain like the Fire Dragon King's temple was. Along the outer perimeter ran several barbed wire fences which functioned as blockades to stall an enemy's advance. The inner perimeter had a series of electrified fences as a second barrier against infantry-based invasions. At strategic points around the compound were automated turrets which scanned around in search of enemies. If they detected anyone hostile, they would activate and mow down the offender. Due to all these defences, a frontal assault was not a sound strategy. Also, merely blowing up the entire camp with powerful magic was out of the question. The camp may contain vital information that could do even more damage to the enemy in the long run. 

Filia drew a black arrow from the temple to the enemy base, indicating the route of Koichi, Yolei, Hawkmon and other aerial allies. They were to make the first strike in the form of an aerial bombardment campaign. She drew stick figures to the southeast of the compound, indicating the presence of a team of commandoes. This team was mostly land Digimon leading some of the temple's troops in a diversionary second strike. They were already in place and waiting for the cue to move. The final strikes were a pair of full frontal assaults by the temple on the enemy's western flank and the Saillune army on the north flank. In addition, the Saillune army was to send a detachment led by Amelia to burrow into the base and attack it from within with the help of Digimon sappers. 

Within nearly an hour, the temple finished its preparations and made its move. Koichi transformed into the great dark vulture, Velgamon, while Hawkmon Digivolved into his Champion form of Aquilamon, a great eagle. Aquilamon picked up his partner before he and Velgamon took off with two flying Digimon, and a dozen golden dragons following their lead. After a nearly fifteen minute flight, they were able to see the base in the distance. The squadron broke formation to begin their bombing runs. The base sounded the alarm, an air raid siren which blared deafeningly. Gunfire soared like streaks of light filling the night sky as the soldiers turned their weapons on the bombers. 

Velgamon turned his gaze to the soldiers below and unleashed a Dark Vortex on them. The eye beams destroyed everything they struck in massive, billowing explosions. The explosions burst randomly around the base as Velgamon fired at anything that entered his sight. Several bullets struck him in the body, which did nothing to significantly harm him. Velgamon gazed at the turret, releasing a Dark Vortex to blow it to pieces. The ensuing explosion ripped open a section of the electrified fence and left it sparking dangerously on the ground. 

Aquilamon came under attack by a guard tower but took evasive manoeuvres to dodge enemy fire. He lined himself up for an attack run and blew away the base of the tower with energy rings emitted from his mouth. The tower toppled over, causing one of the soldiers to fall out and crash to the ground below. Another hung desperately to the edge for dear life. It crashed to the ground with an earth-shattering thud that smashed it into pieces. From the southeast, Yolei spotted the enemy firing into her allies advancing from behind some distant sand dunes. She fired seeds which cut into one of the enemy soldiers painfully. 

With the base's main defences ruined and in flames, the armies marched forward to capture it. Underground, the mole-like Drimogemon, the insect-like Digmon, and the dinosaur-like Guilmon worked diligently to finish their secret entry. They scooped away mounds and mounds of dirt until rays of artificial light shone through a crack in the earth. The Drimogemon tore down the last obstacle in their path to create an opening into the base. Dozens and dozens of Saillune soldiers, knights, priests, and magicians stormed into the now vulnerable base. Working in six person teams, the troops cleaned the base out. A solder squad accosted Amelia's team to which she responded by raising a magical barrier. 

The enemy bullets bounced off the shield scattering sparks uselessly. One of her magicians began casting an Icicle Lance spell, which burst out of his hand and impaled his target fatally. Restoring her shield, her troupe advanced into enemy fire in safety. Once in range, one of the knights slashed the gun out of his enemy's hand. The knight plunged the sword into his enemy and pulled it out as the foe fell to the ground. One by one, enemy soldiers and demons fell to flashing blades and dazzling magic. Within minutes, the temple's allies had gained control of the battle and the fighting died down. 

The temple's defenders and the Saillune army occupied the base as a valuable informational asset. Within their computers would be critical information on the enemy's movements and possibly the location of the Destiny Stone. Yolei began to fiddle with the computer terminal in the command centre of the base. She perused the non-encrypted data but found nothing that would reveal anything of value. After cracking a password, she found herself in the area where the sensitive files were stored. However, they were encrypted. With the VIPs dead, they were unable to tell any tales that would shed light on the encryption method. 

Yolei tried to decrypt the files, but was not having any luck. "I can't do this. I need Izzy's help." Yolei sent a message for her friend through a handheld device known as a D-Terminal. 

Within seconds, her friend emerged from a portal opened right in the computer's monitor. Izzy was a young, brown-haired boy in his early teens. He wore a simple brown T-shirt that had black stripes and a pair of khaki shorts. The boy had an aura of intelligence around him that went beyond the natural. It was suitable for someone who represented the Crest of Knowledge. His Digimon partner was a small beetle creature with large, expressive eyes. His chitin was a rose, almost violet colour and had spikes on his back. He was Tentomon, the lightning-shooting ladybug. 

"Hi Yolei, you need help getting into a computer?" asked Izzy. 

"Yeah, this computer has encrypted files. It's military grade encryption, so I need your help," replied Yolei. 

"Prodigious! Military encryption is a nice challenge, but we can get through it no problem," boasted the Digidestined of Knowledge. 

As the two Digidestined worked on the files, the others took a tour of the facility. The enemy base was a marvel of high technology indeed, with walls of silvery metal and humming circuitry. Its top three floors had quarters for guards, strategy planning rooms, and a lounge for off duty soldiers. Beneath these two floors was a fortified underground complex with facilities for the day-to-day operations of a paramilitary force. There was a storage room lined with gun-filled racks and ammunition. There were chambers filled with a yellow, urine-like liquid with soldiers recuperating in them. There was a massive hatchery filled with misshapen, spiky black eggs likely from the demons that assisted the army. Whoever these people were, they were well funded and meant business. 

"What kind of guys are they?" asked Filia as she examined the technological nature of the base. 

Lina explored the gun room and gazed at the racks and racks lining the walls. The guns were packed into these holders like sardines in a can. "So many guns..." remarked Lina as she looked down the rows of firearms. 

Amelia plugged her nose at the foul smell from the demon hatchery. "Eew, what kind of monsters were they growing in here? Thank the gods we took this place when we did," said Amelia as she watched her soldiers smash the demonic eggs. 

Meanwhile, Izzy and Yolei continued cracking the enemy's encryption. Across the screen the blurbs and blurb of data changed as they adjusted the code of their decryption program. At this point, the two programmers were placing the final touches on their code. They had pinned down the enemy's exact encryption method. All they had to do now as to tweak a few numbers until they found the right one. After a few more minutes the blurbs of data turned into readable text. What they saw fascinated them to no end. 

This base was not the only one in existence. There were others like it in other places in the Slayers world. They weren't just limited to the Slayers world either. In fact, there was a huge number of these bases spread out in almost every single anime world imaginable. Each had the very same facilities to allow for functioning as a beachhead for invasion. From the communications logs of the base, Yolei and Izzy found that other bases like this one were in the Digital and Real World as well! After sifting through more data, they learned the true name of this dark force. Its name was the word which meant having limitless power; Omnipotence. 

END OF CHAPTER 

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#13 Tenko, The Lone Star: Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune (Slayers)  
#14 Tensyo, The Wounded Star: Gracia Ul Naga Saillune, aka Naga the Serpent (Slayers)  
#26 Tenjyu, The Star of Longevity: Lina Inverse (Slayers) 

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#40 Chiketsu, The Star of Noble Wisdom: Zelgadiss Graywords (Slayers)  
#47 Chisei, The Guileless Star: Filia Ul Copt (Slayers)  
#97 Chisatsu, The Searching Star: Gourry Gabriev (Slayers) 

Spotlight: Digimon, Yolei, Hawkmon, & Koichi

Digimon is an anime series about various groups of children who come into contact with a parallel world known as the Digital World. They interact with the inhabitants of the Digital World, the Digimon or Digital Monsters, and go on adventures to save it and their home world from hostile forces. The powers used within the Digimon anime, including Digital World technology, are magical in origin. However, the children were all originally from the scientifically based Real World, an anime interpretation of our own world. The Digital and Real Worlds of each Digimon season are united and considered one nation amongst its peoples. Origins:  
Yolei is a Digidestined from the second season and Hawkmon is her Digimon partner. Koichi is a Legendary Warrior of the fourth season, Frontier. While Hawkmon was born with his powers, Koichi and Yolei gained their powers from items found within their Digital Worlds. Koichi's origin is particularly interesting. He was an enemy to his brethren at first, due to spiritual corruption by his benefactor, Cherubimon. In the anime, his brother purified his power source, the Spirits of Darkness, causing them to take on a new form. However, the anime was an embellished retelling of the Warriors' experiences, so the true Spirits of Darkness were and have always been Duskmon and Velgamon. 

Powers:  
Hawkmon can Digivolve, or transform, into various new forms. Each of these forms have varying powers, strengths, and resistances. Among his varied abilities include flight and elemental blasts. His nature makes him resistant to polymorphic effects and he can counter them through Digivolutionary power. His Digimon mind is quite different and difficult to attack. 

Yolei has merged with the Digieggs of Sincerity and of Love and has gained their powers as a result. Her Love powers gives her power over the wind and the ability to charm people and instil them with feelings of love. Her Sincerity powers gives her power over plants as well as the ability to sense illusions. Her powers are generally supportive in nature, as Hawkmon does the bulk of the fighting. 

Koichi has merged with the Spirits of Darkness, which allow him to transform into Digimon. They also give him the ability to create and control darkness and negative energy. These dark powers also cause him to radiate an aura that nullifies hostile telekinetic and mental attack powers used around or against him. As such, he is the worst opponent a psionics user could ever encounter. 


	6. Ki Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Ki Story, part 2: Mobius Stripped **

It was a beautiful day on the planet of Mobius, the home of many anthropomorphic, anime creatures. The sun was shining brightly on a verdant, grassy plains. High in the sky, above Mobius' crystal blue oceans, floated a great island large enough to blot out the sun. This strange island hovered in the air as though suspended by an unknown but powerful mystical force. At the centre of this island was an outdoor, marble shrine. At the heart of this shrine was a pedestal built to honour what may be the largest emerald to ever exist. In front of the emerald laid seven pedestals, each with an indentation for a jewel the emerald. Six of the gems had one of the colours of the rainbow, with the seventh being white.

Near this shrine was a small stone shelter that housed the sole guardian of these precious gems, the Chaos Emeralds. He was a small anthropomorphic echidna with red fur and quills like the dreadlocks of Rastafarians. He wore a pair of white gloves which did little to conceal the pair of spikes jutting from his knuckles. This echidna, Knuckles, was the guardian of these Chaos Emeralds. The emeralds contained vast power that could easily be abused should they fall into the wrong hands. His duty was to ensure that that never happened.

Knuckles had a clipboard out and cast a glance upon his shrine. The shrine had been damaged from the effects of weather over the years. He wanted to renovate the area and clean it up a bit. As looked over his shrine, he made some mental calculations and jotted down notes onto a clipboard. He pulled out some measuring tape and proceeded to measure the distance from the Master Chaos Emerald's pedestal to the other seven. He jotted down more notes and looked over his shrine. His continued his measurements until he heard the sound of blades slicing through the air rapidly.

A helicopter emerged just above the shrine. Its machinegun fired on the echidna, forcing him to dive for refuge behind some stones. That attack was a direct indication of hostile intent. Knuckles' mind fell back to his training as he pondered how to respond. Several men in black combat gear descended onto the shrine via ropes. He grabbed a stone and hurled it at the machinegun with such force as to total it. Some of the soldiers opened fire to cover their comrades while they claimed the snatched the seven smaller emeralds. With great speed, Knuckles evaded the fire and closed on the men.

He socked one thief hard in the face, another in the stomach, and a third on the chin. A sucker punch caught him from behind, sending him hurtling through trees into the nearby forest. His attacker, an amazonian woman, came at him with incredible speed that surprised the echidna. Knuckles dodged a punch and threw one himself, which the woman caught in her hand. He attempted to kick her in the face, but only had his foot caught in her other hand. He broke free and threw another punch which ended up striking empty space instead. He took a hard blow to the gut which put him on his knees.

The woman's kick drilled him in the head, sprawling him on the ground. "Leguma, we wasted too much time here. Let's go!" cried one of the men.

Despite severe injuries, Knuckles willed himself to move. However, he was too badly injured and his body gave out. The helicopter lifted off into the sky and sped towards the horizon. At that moment, one of Knuckles' friend entered the scene with blinding speed. Like Knuckles, he too was an anthropomorphic animal, but he was a hedgehog rather than an echidna. This cocky creature had blue quills and wore a pair of red sneakers. This creature, Sonic, was shocked to see the devastation and his friend flat on the ground.

"Whoa! What happened here? Are you okay Knuckles?" asked Sonic with deep concern. Sonic looked up and saw the helicopter flying away in the distance.

Hours later, Knuckles awoke to see fluorescent lights shining down on his face. He was in a sterile room with pale blue curtains dividing the room into three sections. He recognized the faces of his friends and co-workers from the Sonic X anime. Sonic, the one who brought him to the hospital, was happy to see his buddy had awakened. The others had similar feelings of joy and relief to see that their friend Knuckles had survived such a brutal assault. His other friends included Chris Thorndyke, a human boy; Tails, the two-tailed fox; Amy the hedgehog, Cream the rabbit, Cheese the Chao, Rouge the bat, and Dr. Eggman, the robotics mastermind and antagonist of the anime.

"Oh Knuckles, you're awake!" exclaimed Amy.

"Yeah, you sure gave us a big scare!" said Cream.

Suddenly, Knuckles remembered the emeralds. "The Chaos Emeralds! What happened to them?"

"Sorry honey, they've all been taken away," replied Rouge in her typical sultry voice.

"I have to get them back!" cried Knuckles, who tried to leave his bed only to have Sonic pin him down.

"You're not going anywhere," said Sonic bluntly. "You're in no condition to be running around after the beating you took. I'm taking over from here. You just get some rest."

"Knuckles, who were the people who attacked you?" asked Tails.

"I don't know who they were, but I do know they were humans," replied Knuckles. "They were dressed all in black and were packing some heavy duty weaponry."

"They had heavy weaponry?" asked Chris.

"Yeah, that's the stuff that people from the army would use, like assault rifles and machineguns. They came at me in this black helicopter and shot at me while they stole the emeralds. I fought back, but then this woman got me from behind. I tried to fight back but she like nothing I've ever faced before. I never stood a chance."

"Can you describe this woman?" asked Dr. Eggman.

Knuckles proceeded to describe his attacker, who was a woman who went by the name of Leguma. She was slightly above average height for a human woman and had a head full of spiky black hair. She had a muscular build, as though she had been exercising and building her body extensively. This woman wore a suit of white armour made from unknown, padded plastic. This armour had brown shoulder pads and seemed to take on the contours of her body. She was inhumanly strong and fast, possibly to the point of giving Sonic a run for his money.

"I don't know who she was," continued Knuckles. "All I know is that they stole the Chaos Emeralds and I have to get them back!"

"You're not going anywhere sweetie. I'm keeping you company while you're staying here," said Rouge.

"Hey don't worry about the emeralds," assured Sonic. "I'm on the job, so don't you fear."

"Sonic," interjected Tails just as the hedgehog was about to leave.

"What is it?" asked Sonic.

Tails handed Sonic a small handheld radio. "Take this. You can use it to stay in touch. Now, go get'em!"

Sonic smiled at Tails' foresight. "Thanks, those guys won't know what hit'em!"

The blue blur sped out of the room faster than the eye could see. The others remained behind to entertain Knuckles as he recovered from Leguma's brutal attack. Several minutes later, long after Sonic had left, the gang overheard a nurse speaking with an unknown person. "Is this the echidna's room?" asked the unknown person.

"Yeah, he's in there," replied the nurse outside.

"Thanks."

The unknown person entered the room, revealing himself as Trunks Briefs. "Who are you?" asked Knuckles.

"A friend," replied Trunks. "I came to ask about the theft of the Chaos Emeralds. You're Knuckles the echidna, I presume."

"That's right," replied Knuckles. "Who wants to know?"

"I'm Trunks Briefs. I'm here because I suspect that those who stole your emeralds are also the same people who stole valuable items from my friends. Have you by chance heard of the Dragonballs or the Asakura prayer beads?"

"Dragonballs?" asked Rouge. "You mean those things that grant wishes?"

Trunks turned to Rouge. "So you have heard of them."

"Yeah, why do you ask?" asked Rouge.

"They were stolen about a week ago, along with the Asakura prayer beads," replied Trunks.

"Well, well, Rouge, looks like you've got some stiff competition..." remarked Dr. Eggman, stroking his chin.

Knuckles laughed. "Yeah, who would've thought?" The Sonic X gang had a laugh at Rouge's expense, causing the jewel-stealing bat to sulk. "Okay, I think we've made fun of Rouge enough for one day." Knuckles turned back to Trunks. "I know you came here for other reasons so what are they?"

"An alliance," stated Trunks bluntly.

"An alliance?" repeated Knuckles in surprise.

"Yeah," replied Trunks. "These people have stolen things that each of us want to get back. I'm leading a group of like-minded people to retrieve them. We'd like you to join us. If we help each other, we can retrieve the stolen objects sooner. So, do we have a deal?"

"With more people looking, we can get the emeralds back in no time," commented Amy.

"Well... Alright, you've got a deal." Knuckles shook Trunks' hand to seal their agreement.

"Come with me, I'll introduce you to the others," offered Trunks.

The hospital lobby was a quiet, dimly lit room where Mobius' people, whether animal or not, could relax while waiting to see loved ones. At the centre of the room was a decorative fountain made of white plastic. Every few seconds, water would shoot up into the air until it became a fine mist and rained into the basin. At the western side of the building was a reception desk staffed by a pair of blue-shirted, anthropomorphic guard dogs. A ding would break the silence every few moments as the elevators delivered people to the lobby.

On the other side was the cafeteria, which people entered and exited like a revolving door. The inside was filled with eaters seated haphazardly at various tables munching away at platefuls of food. Seated at the rear of this restaurant were Trunks' team mates. "Don't worry guys, Trunks will get them to join us," said Yoh.

"Yeah, but what's taking him so long?" asked Morty.

At that moment, Trunks, who was followed by Amy and the rest of Sonic's friends minus Rouge and Knuckles came into the cafeteria. "Sorry I was late, guys," said the half-Saiyan as he approached.

"See, what did I tell you? Trunks came through, just like he said he would!" gloated Yoh.

"Hey, they're cute little animals!" remarked Morty.

"You think I'm cute, hmm?" asked Amy as she posed for him vainly. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I already have a boyfriend. Sonic is my one true love!"

"Did she say boyfriend?" asked Morty.

"Wow Morty, you're pretty popular with the ladies," mocked Yoh.

"Oh very funny Yoh..." retorted Morty.

Trunks smiled at Morty's misfortune. "Well, you've all met Amy already. Why don't you guys introduce yourselves to each other?"

After a brief introduction, the group turned their attention to their next move. "Let's see what Sonic has found," said Tails as he pulled an electronic device out of his fur and fiddled with its buttons.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sonic continued his search for the thieves of the Chaos Emeralds. He sped over lush green countryside and towering mountainous peaks but so far, he could find nothing. His search took him into a forest which he zipped into at near supersonic speeds. "Hmm, where could they be?" he asked. He heard what seemed to be blades slicing through the air and traced the swishing sound to a helicopter coming through the sky. "Aha!" 

Sonic followed the helicopter making sure to remain behind cover so as not to be seen. With his immense, superhuman speed, the blue hedgehog tailed the helicopter eastward. He exited the forest and blazed down a grassy meadow into a second forest nearly fifty miles from the first. The chopper landed in a remote clearing and its passengers disembarked to make camp. From behind the cover of bushes, Sonic watched as the black-clad men unloaded equipment from their vehicle. They began to erect a strange electronic device like that of a circle.

"What are they doing?" Sonic wondered in his mind.

After scanning the camp, he found the emeralds in possession of a black-haired, muscular woman. This amazon opened a briefcase and did a brief, last-minute count before resealing it. Since she matched the description given by Knuckles, Sonic concluded that she was Leguma, the head thief. After looking around, Sonic determined that she was alone. She turned her head away for a brief moment, giving him the perfect chance to strike. The blue hedgehog left his cover and made a beeline for the briefcase.

To him, the world moved at a snail's pace as he dashed at the prize. Just as he reached the emerald case, Leguma turned her head around and identified him. Since her hand was already in position, she was able to grab the briefcase first. In a smooth segue, she launched a powerful kick which forced him to leap away to safety. Having been thwarted by Leguma's quick reaction, Sonic was unable to get the emeralds. He was now in the sights of his enemy.

"Damn, I was so close!" he grunted.

"Nice try, but no cigar!" taunted Leguma to rub salt into the wound.

She threw a ki blast at the blue hedgehog, who dodged it with a burst of preternatural speed. Though Sonic was incredibly fast himself, Leguma was no slouch either. While he was clearly the faster of the two, Sonic was still surprised by this woman's incredible speed. "You're pretty fast!" he remarked.

"I'll take that as a compliment, but even with your speed, you're still no match for me. You don't stand a chance against a mighty Saiyan warrior like me!"

"We'll see about that!" Sonic shot back at Leguma.

Sonic wheeled around the Saiyan before launching himself like a cannonball. Leguma blocked this attack with her forearm and threw a punch with her free hand which ended up missing. Sonic had leapt away from the blow and landed some distance back. "I'm not letting you go until you hand those Chaos Emeralds back to me."

"Over my dead body, or rather, your dead body!" shot Leguma as she charged forward.

The Saiyan amazon threw a powerful punch which Sonic evaded at the last moment. Her fist slammed into a tree and levelled it in a single blow. Sonic came from her right and rammed himself into her as a rolling ball. Despite scoring such an excellent hit, Leguma was far from being defeated. After he landed, she shot a ki blast at his legs. Even though he leapt over the explosion, the force knocked him out of the air and caused him to land on his back. Leguma followed and descended on Sonic with only to punch the ground instead.

Sonic zipped around and came to a stop some distance to Leguma's right. "Grrr... You're an annoying runt!" growled Leguma.

"I'm just too fast for you," boasted the blue hedgehog.

"Why don't you try this on for size!"

Leguma moved her hands near her face and emitted a brilliant golden light. This light of this technique, the Solar Flare, was so intense that Sonic was momentarily blinded. As Sonic tried to get his bearings, Leguma kicked him in the chest so hard that he crashed through a tree. As soon as he got up, Leguma was already upon him, throwing punch after punch into his gut. After a devastating haymaker, Sonic went crashing into a second tree. She fetched the briefcase and went up to him to gloat. Leguma's men entered the scene, surrounding Sonic and training guns onto him.

"Sorry, looks like the emeralds are mine," said Leguma. "Put the jewels in the chopper."

"Yes ma'am," replied the nearby soldier.

With Sonic surrounded by Leguma and her men, it seemed that he was done for. A strange rattling approached the men. It sounded like bones grinding against each other. They turned around only to have several animated skeletons descend on them. These glowed with the translucent, violet aura of Furyoku and attacked tirelessly. There must have been about a dozen skeletons descending upon the men. They frantically fought back, butting their guns into the skulls of their enemy. Since the skeletons were merely lifeless bones, they were unfazed by the men's attacks.

"Sonic!" cried Amy as she ran into the fray carrying a hammer in her hands. She bopped one of the men on the head and made a beeline for Sonic. "Oh Sonic!" She planted a deep kiss on her boyfriend's cheek.

"Oh Amy, now's not the time for that!" muttered the blue hedgehog as squirmed in Amy's embrace.

As Amy pulled Sonic out of the fray, her friends took out the soldiers that had captured him. With Amidamaru empowering his sword through Spirit Control, Yoh cut a devastating swath through the men. Morty, with his hammer empowered by Mosuke's spirit and fiery Furyoku, bopped a second thug in the head. Morty thumped the ground once again, bowling over a third thug with a wave of flaming Furyoku. The skeletons mobbed a hapless terrorist, punching him into the ground under Faust's direction. The necromantic Shaman continued his channelling to direct the actions of his undead troops.

"Well now, this is a treat. I get to fight someone decent for a change. What luck! He's a Saiyan too," remarked Leguma as she and Trunks circled around, each watching for an opening in the other's defence. "That hedgehog was hardly a challenge."

Leguma threw a kick for Trunks' ribs which he blocked. Trunks attempted to sweep her legs, only to have Leguma leap over the blow. "I'll say! It only took you about ten guys to beat him," remarked Trunks. "It's so easy when the odds are ten to one in your favour."

"My men may have given me some help, but I don't need to them to crush the likes of you!" retorted Leguma, throwing kick straight to Trunks' chest.

The half-Saiyan blocked the kick and scored a punch himself. As the amazon staggered backwards, clutching her stomach, Trunks' flew in with a flying kick. Leguma caught his foot and hurled him into a tree. She fired a ki blast after him, smashing him through three more trees in the distance. With Trunks momentarily out of commission, she turned her attention to Faust, who was preoccupied with directing his undead army. She fired a beam of ki at him which Faust finally noticed at the last moment. He raised a shield of solid bone held together by his Furyoku. Though this barrier protected him, the beam was strong enough to lift him off his feet and topple him over.

"Faust!" cried Yoh as he watched how Leguma made the cheap shot on his friend.

"Worry about yourself first!" taunted Leguma as she hurled herself at Yoh.

Yoh blocked the flurry of kicks and punches with the spectral arm guard produced by his Spirit Control. The blows came in fast and furious and it was difficult to maintain his defence. Yoh was pinned down. Leguma piled on the hits forcing Yoh to give ground. Despite his disadvantageous position, Yoh was still able to maintain his defences. He waited for an opening before he made his move. Leguma threw several blows until one of her kicks broke through Yoh's guard.

Yoh stumbled backwards, but was still able to maintain Spirit Control over his blade. Seeing him in a daze, Leguma charged up a blast of ki to finish the job. Yoh now saw his opportunity. Once Leguma released the beam, Yoh leapt over the attack. With sword overhead, he descended and slashed downwards with all of his might. Leguma sidestepped the strike and kicked Yoh in the exposed ribs. Yoh went rolling on the ground before getting up some distance away.

"Damn! We almost got her too!" remarked Yoh.

"Not quite, look!" directed Amidamaru.

Yoh turned his gaze to Leguma. The blade had hit Leguma's shoulder pad and sliced it in two. A splotch of crimson liquid leaked out of her shoulder from the point of contact. As the seconds passed, the splotch grew bigger. "Ah!" he remarked.

"That's right Yoh. We got her!"

Leguma felt the stinging pain of the cut and covered it with her other hand. "Grr... This is not good!" she remarked, realizing she was wounded and watching her own men getting demolished in battle by Yoh's allies. "Company retreat! Into the portal!"

She blasted Yoh with a beam of ki, which the young Shaman blocked with his arm guard. Leguma made a dash for the briefcase, snatching the precious jewels while Yoh was distracted with the smoke screen. As her men covered her, she punched in some commands to the ring-like device, a portable dimensional portal. The device starting up with a deep hum and a swirling nexus of energy formed in its centre. Leguma fled into it with her men following close behind. Yoh and friends closed in on the portal with Morty taking the lead. The last man entering the gate pulled the pin from a small object and dropped it at the base of the portal.

"Morty, watch out! He dropped a..." cried Yoh.

It was too late. Morty was too dangerously close once the grenade went off. For that brief moment, time slowed to crawl. The grenade burst into a billowing plume of flame that widened and threatened to envelope Morty and everything else the gate. His friends braced themselves while an expression of horror filled the little Shaman's face. He tried to back-pedal out of harm but was unable to react fast enough. From out of nowhere, Trunks burst onto the scene. He snatched Morty out of harm's way and sped to safety. When time resumed its normal course, the flames consumed the portal, leaving nothing but wreckage and charcoal behind.

"Morty, are you okay?" asked Trunks.

Morty was surprised to find that he was still alive and was beginning to realize what happened. "Uh yeah, I'm fine. I owe you one Trunks," said the little Shaman.

"No problem at all," replied the half-Saiyan.

The ki team regrouped themselves to discuss their course of action. "They got away," remarked Amy.

"We'll get them next time," assured Yoh.

"I'm sure we will. I never realized you guys were so strong," remarked Amy with respect to the Shaman and Trunks.

"Hey guys!" called Tails as he entered the camp grounds.

"Hey Tails," said Sonic. "I'm sorry. I tried, but I couldn't get the emeralds. They got away."

Tails was saddened. "That stinks. I hope we have better luck next time. How did they get away?"

"They ran into this strange circular thingamajig I watched them set up," replied Sonic.

"What Sonic is saying is they fled into a portal," clarified Trunks. "Those guys have been doing that every time we got too close to them. It's starting to get very annoying now."

"What do we do now?" asked Morty.

Tails looked around the wreckage, drawing conclusions as to how to find the silver lining in a bad situation. "Hmm..." he muttered as picked through the pieces of the destroyed gate.

"Did you find something, Tails?" asked Amy.

"I'm not sure, but I think I can salvage some of the portal. I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I might be able to retrieve the coordinates and reconstruct it," said Tails.

"If you can do that, it would help us out so much," remarked Amy. "Maybe Chris or Dr. Eggman can help you out?"

"Yeah, maybe..." muttered Tails looking over the wreckage. "I can't promise you that it'll work. The portal took extensive damage from the explosion, but I'll see what I can do with it. Gather up everything and load it into the Blue Typhoon."

As per Tails instructions, the heroes gathered every piece of the portal and loaded it onto his ship. Tails' ship, the Blue Typhoon, was a massive vehicle capable of travelling the stars. It was like a combination of an aircraft carrier and a stellar battleship. The Blue Typhoon had a long deck large enough for planes to land on like a runway. It had two rows of palm trees lined along the sides neatly. It had dozens of emitters for energy weaponry and tubes for missiles. The Blue Typhoon was a ship perfectly equipped for facing the rigours of space travel.

After a quick flight, the Blue Typhoon pulled into a dock within a great metallic spire with a rounded top. As his guests pulled in, Dr. Eggman and his robotic assistants waited beside the massive star ship to greet his "Sonic X" co-stars, who have joined the ki team. "Welcome back, did you get the emeralds?" asked the doctor to the disembarking ki team.

"I'm sorry, they got away," replied Tails in disappointment. "They ran into a portal when we were beating them."

"That's not good..." said Dr. Eggman. "If they figure out how to use them, we're in big trouble." Dr. Eggman suddenly noticed that the Sonic team had gained some new members when the Shaman and Trunks disembarked. "Hey, it seems like you made some new friends."

"Yeah, they're some people who are helping us to get the Chaos Emeralds. Those thieves who took the emeralds took some things that belonged to them too. We're helping each other find the stolen stuff," said Chris Thorndyke. "Meet Trunks, Yoh, Faust, and Morty."

Each of the members of the old ki team introduced themselves to Dr. Eggman. "Nice to meet you all."

"Doctor," addressed Tails. "When the thieves ran away, they blew up the portal they were using. I salvaged the wreckage and brought it back in the Blue Typhoon. I was thinking of incorporating the technology onto the Blue Typhoon. Could you give me a hand?"

"Hmm... That sounds interesting," said Dr. Eggman, stroking his chin in contemplation. "I'm curious to see what their technology is like. Sure Tails, why don't we take a look? In the meantime, Bocoe, Docoe, why don't you keep our guests company?"

"Yes sir, Dr. Eggman," replied the first robot, Bocoe. Of the two robots, Bocoe was the shorter, squat one. He was a grey metallic construct whose head was much like that of a screw.

"Right away, Dr. Eggman. This way please," directed the second robot, Docoe. This robot was the taller one, with a yellow coat of paint. In particular, his head was shaped like a pill.

Bocoe and Docoe led Dr. Eggman's guests, the ki team, away to keep them preoccupied while Tails and the doctor worked on the portal. The two mechanical geniuses examined the portal wreckage intently. It wasn't long before they succeeded in extracting the logs of the device. Eventually, they came to understand the scientific principles behind the portal, culminating with the drawing of blueprints for a modified, ship-mounted version of the portal. When completed, such a device would look like a metal box the size of a computer monitor. Such a device would allow a ship, the Blue Typhoon specifically, to traverse the anime universes and pursue the thieves no matter where they choose to run.

The two got down to work with Tails and Dr. Eggman working on the new device's computers and wiring respectively. Within two days of continuous work, the device had been completed and was ready for testing. For this stage, Trunks, who had some scientific experience being the son of a great scientist, offered to help the two. Their test was to sent objects of increasing size, like piles of rock, to his world, the world of Dragonball Z. He mounted a camera onto the rocks and used the device to send it to his world. At first, the rock pile went to the wrong worlds, but after some calibration, the rock pile went to the Dragonball Z world consistently.

With the device perfected and mounted on the Blue Typhoon, Dr. Eggman called a briefing to get the rest of the team up to speed. "I'm glad you're all here. I have an announcement to make."

"What is it?" asked Sonic.

"We've just finished testing of our dimensional transport module," announced Eggman. "Chris is mounting it onto the Blue Typhoon and he'll be done in about three hours. With this device, you can follow the thieves wherever they choose to run. I'm sure you'll catch them this time."

"Whoa, cool!" remarked Yoh.

"Yeah, I was getting sick and tired of those guys constantly giving us the slip," remarked Trunks. "It's really frustrating."

"So, where did the thieves go when they ran?" asked Morty.

"They went a place known as Gaea," replied Dr. Eggman. "It's the world of the Escaflowne anime. It's a scientific world, but a very different one at that. They use steam-powered technology rather than the nuclear-powered technology we use. The people of that world generally don't have special powers like you do."

"The thieves escaped to somewhere near Zaibach City, the capital of the Zaibach nation, but they're long gone by now," continued Tails. "Zaibach is a superpower of Gaea. It has a strong industrial base and military presence in the world of Gaea. We should look for clues there."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's hit the city," urged Yoh. "We won't get anything done waiting here."

"Yep, you're right Yoh," agreed Tails. "Let's head out to the Blue Typhoon."

* * *

Meanwhile, a month before the ki team came, a peaceful day was upon Zaibach City, the capital of the industrial nation of Zaibach. After the great war, the people were glad to turn to more peaceful, commercial pursuits. Their nation was like that of England after it had experienced the Industrial Revolution. Throughout the day, hammers could be heard clanging against solid steel. Steam engines rattled as they generated power for vehicles such as old-fashioned cars and tractors. Stacks of metal piped smoky exhaust into the air. The diligent people of the capital were hard at work to produce the wealth and innovations that their nation enjoyed. 

A great floating citadel docked at the Zaibach imperial palace. Rows of soldiers stood at attention as an entourage of VIPs marched down a hallway. At the head of the VIPs was a young man with hair that was light blue in colour with a slight tinge of grey. He was cloaked in black, which gave him an aura of both mystery and nobility. This man had seen his share of battle in his life time. He had lost his right hand and had it replaced by an obviously mechanical prosthetic. This man was Folken Fanel, the right-hand man of the emperor of Zaibach himself, Dornkirk.

With the emperor's right-hand man were his own right-hand women, a pair of bodyguards clothed in similar black cloaks. Underneath, they wore sleek, silvery white jumpsuits which allowed excellent mobility in a fight. The twin women were half-leopard with the spots and the tawny, furry skin of that African wild cat. They were young, attractive, and had agile, lithe bodies. They also only answered to the authority of a single man, Folken Fanel. One of the twins was silver-haired and she went by the name of Nariya. Her sister, on the other hand, had golden hair and was known as Eriya.

A man wheeled a holographic projector alongside the entourage. After punching in some commands, the machine activated and displayed the ghostly image of a man. This person was a wizened old man with a long head and flowing grey hair. He was clothed in black robes far more regal than those of his underlings. This man was the leader of Zaibach, emperor Dornkirk.

"Greetings Folken, it is great to see you return to the capital," began the emperor.

"Thank you my emperor. It is great to return. I trust you are well," replied Folken as he continued down the hall.

"I'm as well as can be, but events in other realms concern me," said Dornkirk. "I have heard many rumours of subversive activities in these other worlds. There have been thefts of technology and dangerous artefacts of power. There have been kidnappings and mysterious disappearances as of late. I fear that our glorious nation may one day become involved in such crimes. As the guardians of Zaibach, we must be..."

Before Dornkirk could even finish his sentence, a massive explosion burst forth from the docked citadel. The sheer force of the blast shattered the rear of the hallway and threw the entourage to the front. Folken crashed through the door with the leopard twins and other VIPs following right behind him. The blast shattered suits of ornamental armour and charred them as black as charcoal. Dornkirk's projector smashed into a wall, damaging it to such an extent that only static buzzed from the device. Though great in devastation, that first explosion was merely the beginning.

Five minutes later, a second explosion rocked the castle, blasting everything within the kitchen to smithereens. Dozens of terrified maids and cooks fled the dining room in a blind panic. An alarm klaxon blared deafeningly through the castle hallways. Within moments, guards and emergency personnel flooded the corridors to provide order and aid wherever it was needed. The newspapers followed the story, even a month after the attack had taken place. This story reached the eyes of the ki team, still on the trail of the very same artefact and technology thieves mentioned by Dornkirk.

"These guys sure get around," remarked Yoh as he read the paper over Morty's shoulder.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#19 Tenku, The Empty Star: Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic X)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#79 Chisoku, The Star of Haste: Amy Rose (Sonic X)  
#92 Chisyu, The Prisoned Star: Dr. Eggman (Sonic X)  
#100 Chisu, The Mathematic Star: Miles "Tails" Prower (Sonic X)  
#105 Chiken, The Mighty Star: Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic X)

Spotlight: Shaman King

Shaman King is anime that follows the exploits of a young boy named Yoh Asakura as he matures into a powerful Shaman. Every once in a while, these individuals compete in a great tournament to determine who will be the Shaman King. The winner is the only person who can contact the Great Spirit, either to bring salvation or ruin to the world. The last tournament had been won by Yoh Asakura, who defeated his greatest rival, Hao Asakura, his brother. Though Hao had died in the anime, he didn't in "real life" and reformed after seeing the Great Spirit's power turn against him.

Shaman King's greatest heroes are the Shaman, the mediums between the human and spirit worlds. Their powers are ki-based, drawing upon Furyoku, a mystical energy created within their bodies. It allows them to bond with spirits and grants them superhuman traits and abilities. The Shaman King world is equivalent to our own technology-wise and thus has some degree of scientific power in it.

Origins:  
Yoh, Morty, and Faust met and became friends during the course of the Shaman tournament. Like all Shaman, they can interact with the spirit world, an ability they trained diligently to hone. Yoh came from a clan with a long history of being Shaman. It was natural for him to train to be a Shaman and he even became the Shaman King of the current generation. Morty, enamoured with the Shaman lifestyle, became one himself during the tournament by bonding with Mosuke. In Faust's case, it was personal tragedy that drove him into becoming a Shaman.

Amidamaru and Mosuke were friends and once served the same Japanese noble as a samurai and blacksmith respectively. After seeing Mosuke's impressive work, the noble ordered Amidamaru to kill the blacksmith so as to not allow anyone else to get a better sword. Amidamaru simply couldn't do this and warned his friend, who promised to create a better sword and deliver it to him once it was ready. However, Amidamaru was attacked by the noble's men and gained a reputation by killing hundreds of them before falling. The men eventually got Mosuke as well. It would be years later, after his death, that Mosuke would finally fulfill his promise with Yoh and Morty's help. As an ironic twist, Amidamaru and Mosuke would become the spirits of another pair of best friends, Yoh and Morty.

Johannes Faust VIII is a descendant of the first Faust, the one who made a deal with the demon Mephistopheles. At first, Faust wanted nothing to do with his family's necromantic legacy. He was happily married to a woman named Eliza and owned a private medical practice with her. Tragedy struck when a burglar broke into his home and shot Eliza, who was there at the time, in the head. Faust went mad with grief and embraced his heritage in order to find a way to revive her. It wasn't until later, through Anna's intervention, that he was truly reunited with his love, taking her spirit as his guardian ghost.

Powers:  
Yoh, Morty, and Faust are all Shaman and their spirits are Amidamaru, Mosuke, and Eliza respectively. As such, they can use Furyoku and place their spirit in objects for combat. Though having fundamentally similar powers, it is their style that differentiates them. Every Shaman has a "theme" and fighting style related to his or her spirit. Yoh has a samurai theme and fights with swords. Morty has a blacksmith/fire theme and fights with a smithy's hammer. Faust has a demonic/undead style and summons bone structures animated by Furyoku.


	7. SciPsi Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3**

Sci/Psi story, part 2: Andy's Confession 

The squad car of the Martian Police Department raced down the streets of Saint Lowell triumphantly. The monolithic slivers and congested streets sank into the horizon behind them with blinding speed. The car's driver, Naomi Armitage, was elated. She had pulled off a great bust earlier that day, nabbing one of the most elusive members of an arms running ring. The captured runner, Andy Zimmerman, was a member of the notorious Blue Cosmos terrorist group. Blue Cosmos is a group that originated from the Gundam world. Its members terrorize genetically modified humans or, "Coordinators," daily through bombings and other assassinations. The group had stolen military equipment from the Orb Union, a nation of the Gundam world, and sold them to an unknown buyer for a hefty sum of money.

Before this breakthrough, the investigation had reached a standstill. The men from the buyer's side had been silenced by an implanted device which poisoned them to death before they could talk. The captured men of the seller's side, Blue Cosmos, didn't know anything about the identity of the buyers. Naomi and Ross hoped that Andy could shed some light on the case. Upon reaching the police station, Ross led the young man into his cell. It was a modest room with a single bed, a toilet in a far corner, and a small reinforced window. Its facade was made of a see through plastic that was impossible to break even for an android. Andy sighed and sat on the bed, thinking about how to deal with his current predicament. After a boring half an hour of waiting, the police called him in for interrogation.

The interrogator seated the young man in hard chair and began his questioning. "Mr. Zimmerman, do you know why you're here?" 

"I have a pretty good idea, but I suspect you'll tell me anyways," replied Andy.

"Oh a wise guy," remarked the interrogator. "If I were you I wouldn't be laughing. You have quite a record you know; racketeering, smuggling, trespassing, resisting arrest... If you were at the age of the majority, you'd be looking forward to at least fifteen years in jail. Since you're not, you'll be hauled off to juvie hall for three to four years. By the time you get out, you'll be a grown man, with a moustache and all. If you don't want to fritter your life away, I suggest you cooperate with us. How did you guys get Orb military hardware?"

"I don't know," replied Andy.

The interrogator was annoyed. "What about the people who bought the equipment? I want their names!"

"I don't know," replied Andy monotonously.

On and on the questioning went, but to each question Andy simply replied that he didn't know the answer. As the questioning went on, the frustration grew on the interrogator's face. Andy was reluctant to cooperate and this recalcitrance was grating on his nerves. Since he was not in the mood to give any information, the interrogator returned him to his cell. 

The guard opened the door and rudely shoved him inside. "You can stay there until you're ready to speak, pal."

Boring minute after boring minute went on as Andy tried to think of a way to escape and continue his mission. Sometime into the night, he overheard a pair of guards talking. "I hope this one doesn't croak on us like those other guys," said the first guard. 

"Yeah, I've never seen that many people have a heart attack at once," said a second guard, giving Andy a brilliant idea on how to plot his escape.

Later on, one of the guards came over to check on him and found him lying on the ground unconscious. He opened the cell door to check on Andy's condition. Suddenly, Andy chopped the guard in the throat, stopping the guard from yelling for help. He smashed the officer's head into a wall, knocking him unconscious. After looting anything of value from the cop, Andy dashed out of the cell area in search of his belongings. He retrieved his suitcase radio and the handheld receiver from a storage bin before escaping into the parking lot. He broke into an officer's civilian car, hotwired it, and sped off into the night.

The next day, Ross and Naomi learned of Andy Zimmerman's daring escape. "How could you fall for such a cheap trick?" Naomi screamed at the guard as a female medical officer rubbed ointment on his cut. 

"I really thought he was dead! The other guys died on us like that so I thought the same thing happened to him," replied the guard in his defence.

"Okay that's enough, you two need to leave now. I have to finish off the treatment," said the medical officer.

Upon having the door close on them, Ross and Naomi ran into Murphy. "Naomi, Ross, we have some officers from Solomon here to see you. It's very important," announced Murphy. 

"Solomon? Witch hunters?" asked Naomi. "What would they want with us?"

Naomi and Ross followed Murphy as he led them to a pair of women seated within the reception area. The first was the younger of the two, being a mere child at around her mid-teens in age. She was dressed in a seemingly Victorian, gothic dress that covered her entire body. Over this dress, she wore a sleek, stylish brown trench coat. The girl was a blonde, but had emerald green eyes rather than the blue of most blondes. Her hair was tied sideways in such a way as to look like a pair of handles.

The second was elder of the two, being around her late teens or early twenties. Unlike her counter part she was less gothic and more demure in her dress. This brunette wore a trench coat much like the one the other girl wore, but was slightly shorter. The demure woman was armed with a handgun of some kind. It could be seen holstered under the folds of her coat. Around her neck was a vial filled with a strange green, syrupy liquid. The woman waited with her arms crossed until Naomi and Ross entered the scene.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," apologized Murphy. "Officers Ross Syllabus and Naomi Armitage, meet Robin Sena and Miho Karasuma of Solomon."

* * *

Dentech City, home of a bustling information technology industry, was the technological jewel of the world of Megaman NT Warrior. It was a metropolis of the highest technology and there was almost nothing that didn't contain a computer in it. Computers controlled all aspects of life from the roads to the lighting and the movement of cars themselves. There were computers controlling the weather, which made the day a nice sunny day in Dentech. Even common household appliances like stoves had computers in them. This world seemed to be a veritable technological utopia.

However, this computerization came with drawbacks and perils of its own. With the prominence of the computer came those who would use this technology for nefarious ends. The world of Megaman NT Warrior was a haven for cyber-criminals and cyber-terrorists of all kinds. A simple hacker could cause untold inconvenience or even harm if he or she got access to the right system. Viruses in this world were so advanced and rampant that the police could not possibly contain their threat. People had to learn to fight viruses just to get by. It was so bad that the various governmental agencies began to license civilians specifically to deal with viruses and cyber-crime.

In this highly computerized world lived a young boy known as Lan Hikari. The ten-year-old boy wore a sporty ensemble consisting of shorts, running shoes, a sporty white top, and an orange vest. Like everyone in the city, life wouldn't be complete his PET, a small, handheld electronic device that served as a personal computer and planner. Lan kept his PET tucked in his pocket. These PETs were monitored by a Navi, an artificial intelligence program that served as the owner's companion and friend. Lan's Navi was named Megaman and depicted as a young boy in a blue jumpsuit and helmet on the screen.

"Lan, we can't be late for your own dad's unveiling!" exclaimed Megaman. 

"I know Megaman, I know!" replied Lan, as he skated down the street. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"I told you, I tried three times but you kept falling back to sleep!" 

"Oh great!"

Lan burst into a subway car which brought him into the vicinity of the Dentech Science Lab, the workplace of his father, Dr. Yuchiro Hikari. Dr. Hikari was a leading expert and researcher into cyberspace, or the Net. His research advanced the field of artificial intelligence greatly, leading to the creation of some of the most advanced and state of the art Navis. The Sci Lab was the perfect place for him to work in. It was a state of the art facility with powerful computers for research and development.

Lan walked into his father's room, which had a cubicle for doing paperwork. His lab coat laid abandoned on a nearby coat rack while the man himself looked over the giant monitor of a special computer. It was a testing environment for his new Navis; a place to work out the bugs and problems before dissemination and mass production. On the screen, Lan watched as the new, tank-like Net Navi overwhelmed fake viruses in a combat test. The viruses, soldiers hiding in pinecones, dropped down on the Navi in several ambush attempts. However, the tank would turned open fire on them moments before they could fire off their first shot.

Dr. Hikari looked away from his work. "Oh hi Lan, sorry I kept you waiting. So, how do you like the new Navi?"

"It's pretty cool!" remarked Lan.

"I thought you'd say that." 

"What's its name?"

"That's the thing; I haven't given it a name yet. Unlike most other Navis, my new Navi isn't humanoid at all. I though that maybe if I could change around a Navi's features, I could create a more powerful Navi," remarked Dr. Hikari.

"Hmm, why don't we call him Green Pelter?" suggested Lan. "He shoots really fast, like he's pelting the virus with shots."

"Green Pelter... Well I guess that's a good name as any."

At that moment the lights went out, confusing father and son. A moment later, emergency power came on, providing the room with minimal light. "What's going on?" asked Dr. Hikari over his communications system.

"Someone is attacking the Sci Lab mainframe. They've shut off the main power, so we switched to auxiliary," replied an official at the other end.

"Megaman, let's go check out what's going on," suggested Lan.

"My desk top computer is connected to the mainframe. Use it check out the problem," informed Dr. Hikari. 

"Okay, got it. Jack in, Megaman! Power up!" ordered Lan as he connected his PET into the desktop.

Megaman soared through a winding tunnel of energy and light before emerging in the Net of Dr. Hikari's computer. It was much like a laboratory with several robots being assembled on tables. They were Navis that were in varying stages of development. The blue Navi travelled down tunnels of light and flowing data to reach the mainframe. It was a massive area with data whirling around the edges of a centrifugal cylinder. Within this room was a female Net Navi who was remarkably similar in appearance to a regular human. This Chinese woman was tampering with the controls for various systems of the Sci Lab. 

"Stop!" cried Megaman.

The woman turned around an opened fire with a pair of handguns. Megaman dodged behind a stack of blue, crystalline boxes at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the woman's attack. He returned fire with his arm cannon, which the woman dodged through a series of acrobatic flips and somersaults. Lan plugged in a chip which sent a series of spherical bombs to Megaman, who lobbed them at the intruder. The explosions broke the woman out her rhythm, knocking her flat on the ground. Before Megaman could follow up his advantage, the female Navi logged out, vanishing without a trace.

"Megaman, how bad is the damage?" asked Lan.

"Very bad," replied Megaman as he looked at a set of severed wires. "It will take me several minutes to get this fixed."

"Do it," commanded Lan.

Suddenly, Lan heard the sound of gun fire from above, followed by screaming female workers. Two floors above, several men in black uniforms stormed through the hallways. These men were armed with assault rifles and had faces concealed by ski masks. They moved the building with efficient and expedient professionalism. On the floor were several of the Sci Lab's security guards, shot to death by the intruders. The men rounded up the scientists and imprisoned them in a nearby room.

"Alright, let's move out!" cried the leader.

Back in Dr. Hikari's lab, the doctor removed a disk from the testing computer. "Lan, take this disk and get out of here. Whatever you do, don't let anyone get their hands on it." Dr. Hikari shoved the disk into Lan's pocket. "Hurry! Get into the vents before they find you!"

Dr. Hikari opened a nearby air vent grating. "Dad, what..." was all Lan could manage before he was shoved into the opening.

The unknown men stormed through the building, eventually finding the doctor as he tried to flee his lab. "You! Hands in the air now!" cried one of the men as he aimed his gun at the doctor.

The men led the doctor to the holding room with the other prisoners. Apparently, their goal was in Dr. Hikari's office since the men began to ransack it. Rather than sift through the mass of data, they simply boxed everything they could find and took it away. Within minutes, it was all over as the men retreated with the stolen documents and hard drives. They boarded a waiting chopper on the roof which took off with a gust of wind. Several police helicopters entered the scene, but the pilots were baffled when the suspects vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, Lan made his way back to his home in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. Upon reaching home, he was bushed from his escape. His mother opened the door. "Lan are you okay? I just heard what happened at the Sci Lab!"

"I'm okay, mom, I just need some rest." Lan entered into his home and crashed onto the couch from sheer exhaustion. "Dad got me out but he's still stuck inside the building. I came home as fast as I could."

"You must be exhausted. Here, have a glass of water," offered his mom. Lan guzzled down the water and wiped his mouth clean. "I'm just glad you got away safely." 

"Thanks mom," replied Lan.

Lan watched the television, which had been playing the local news all the while during Lan's escape. The news story followed the daring raid to its aftermath. Fortunately for the Hikari family, Yuchiro was unharmed. The news broadcast panned to a scene of Dr. Hikari and other hostages being escorted out by police. The media interviewed each of the men and women, including Dr. Hikari. "Dad's alright! I'm so relieved!" remarked Ms. Hikari.

* * *

The next day Lan walked down the street. An attractive, happy girl was coming from the other direction, a girl Lan knew very well. She had red, shoulder-length hair with a pair of pick clips in them. "Lan!" greeted this girl, Mayl. "I'm so glad to see you. I heard that some guys attacked the Sci Lab yesterday. You weren't hurt were you?"

"Oh no, my dad helped me get away before they came," replied Lan.

"That's a relief. Who were those guys?"

"I don't know. Dad told me they were there to steal his work. They messed up his office pretty badly."

Unknown to the two kids, a black car was parked a dozen meters from their location. From within this vehicle watched several men in black suits and shades. "Is that him?" asked one of the men.

"Yeah, that's him," replied the watching man.

"Good, tell the boss we found him." 

A week passed by since the incident at the Dentech Sci Lab. Things returned to being fairly normal and Lan resuming his normal daily routine. The sun sank beyond the horizon, leaving a crimson glow across the land. It was around six o'clock in the evening and time for them to return home. Lan and Mayl emerged from a local Net battling arena. In Net battles, Navi users pitted their Navis and skills against each other in a form of gladiatorial combat. Net battles were big sport and even had large, professionally sanctioned tournaments for cash prizes. Despite having so much fun, Lan and Mayl had to return home.

"Man, it's getting late!" remarked Lan.

Mayl was in complete agreement. "Yeah, that last Net battle really took a long time. Our parents will worry if we stay out any longer. Let's go home."

The kids made their way down the street of a typical middle-class neighbourhood. It was a quiet, comfortable place for kids and adults alike to live in. A black van followed the two down the street, moving at a consistent speed to avoid drawing attention. Once the two children entered a fairly vacant neighbourhood, the van screeched into a stop beside Lan. A man in black opened a door and jumped out to grab him. "Let me go!" demanded Lan.

As Lan struggled, he managed to drive his heel into his kidnapper's groin. The kidnapper collapsed to the ground with hands cupping his genitals. "Run Mayl!" screamed Lan.

More men emerged from the vehicle and gave chase to the two children. "Faster! They're gaining on us!" cried Mayl.

The two tore through lengthy alleyways with the men in hot pursuit. Lan looked over his shoulder to see one of the men gesturing to something. A trash can suddenly rose and slammed into Mayl, knocking her onto the ground. The same man gestured at a discarded garden hose, which rose up like a snake and entwined Lan. With the two kids incapacitated, the men were free to round them up and lead them out of the alley.

"You gave my men quite a workout," commented the psychic, Jeremy. "With you as our bargaining chip, Dr. Hikari will have no choice but to comply with our demands."

"Over there!" cried one of Jeremy's men as he pointed to the roof.

Jeremy looked at the roof just in time to see a young man retreat his head. "Watch them! I'll get him myself!"

Jeremy gestured with his hand, leaping high into the air through the assistance of telekinesis. He came face to face with the spy, who was actually Andy Zimmerman. The spy fired several shots with his gun only to have Jeremy raise a barrier of psionic force. The bullets bounced off this shield harmlessly as though they hit a brick wall. Jeremy gestured again, pushing Andy into the ground and pulling his gun out of his hand. With a final gesture, Andy went crashing into a brick chimney and fell to the ground.

"Ah, you again... You have a lot of nerve to show up and attack me," chastised Jeremy.

Lan watched as the thugs rounded up their hostages. "Who is that guy?" wondered Lan upon seeing Andy.

"Beats me," replied Megaman. "I've never seen him before."

Meanwhile, Ross drove his wife and new partners down the street. "So you're saying this Jeremy Dean guy is a Witch?" asked Naomi.

"Yes, he can move things simply by thinking about it," replied Robin. "He is a very dangerous man. We've been tracking him for quite some time now. He's been running arms for an unknown terrorist organisation. We heard that his group has made several deals with Blue Cosmos."

"Yeah, we've been looking for this Dean guy too. His name came up during our investigation on arms running," said Naomi.

The Solomon and MPD officers heard gunshots ring out through a nearby rooftop. "Gunshots!" remarked Ross as he stopped his car. The officers converged on the source of the sound.

"That's him! He's floating down the building!" cried Miho as she pointed towards Jeremy.

Jeremy's goons led the hostages down the alleyway. All was going well until a great fire erupted from the ground! The men reared back in terror, as it separated them from their hostages. The officers surrounded them and trained guns on them. "Don't move! You're under arrest!" cried Ross.

Rather than let himself get captured Jeremy resisted. He attempted to use his telekinesis on Miho, but a strange force nullified the effects. His momentary lapse of attention allowed Miho to pelt him with her gun. Jeremy went down hard, covered in the same strange green goo that filled her vial. Robin ignited a several fires to intimidate Jeremy's men. "Don't even think about it!" she warned.

Naomi descended onto the scene, in a rough struggle with a new suspect. "I got her!" cried Naomi. 

The new suspect was Gillian, the same Chinese woman who had committed crimes in several anime worlds. Naomi kneed her foe in the groin, disrupting Gillian's centre of gravity. The Third police woman smashed her with an overhead blow, but it did little to put her down. She threw a punch to her chin, a second, and then a third. On this final hit, Naomi had struck so hard that she decapitated Gillian. The head rolled onto the ground and the eyes and mouth twitched as the exposed wires in her neck sparkled with electricity.

"I think you got a little carried away there honey," remarked Ross. "Did you have to chop off her head just to beat her?" 

"She's a Third. You really have to beat the crap out of them to keep them down," replied Naomi. "Well, at least we got quite a haul. We got Jeremy Dean, Andy Zimmerman, and several of his thugs. We also saved a few kidnapped kids in the process." 

"He's dead!" proclaimed Robin as she checked Jeremy's pulse.

"What? Damn it!" cursed Naomi. Jeremy's men became contorted as spasms ripped through their chest. Within seconds it was all over, and the men were dead too. "Shit, it's that poison again. We finally catch the big cheese and they're already dead!"

The officers returned to the Dentech police station with Jeremy's former hostages in tow. "Officers Ross Syllabus, Naomi Armitage, Miho Karasuma, and Robin Sena, I presume," began a man with spiky brown hair.

"Yes, that's right. Who wants to know?" asked Naomi.

"I'm agent Famous of the Dentech Netsabres. I'm here to exchange information and to retrieve my agents, Lan Hikari, and Mayl." 

"Netsabres?" asked Ross.

"Yes, we license people to fight against cyber-crime. It's a very big problem around these parts. The authorities can't handle on their own so they created my organisation to license civilians to solve these problems," replied Famous. "Recently, we discovered that the group who ran your arms running ring, was the same one responsible for a terrorist attack against Dentech's Sci Lab." 

"I see," said Ross. "We'll cooperate in anyway we can. We were about to question a member of the arms smuggling ring. Why don't you come along and hear what he has to say?" 

"Sure," replied Famous. "He might be able to give us a lead."

Once again, the police threw questions at Andy, with Naomi and Ross taking charge of the questioning this time. As with last time, Andy only gave evasive, immaterial answers. "Tell us the truth you bastard!" cried Naomi as he grabbed onto Andy's shirt. She was growing frustrated with Andy's recalcitrance and the death of Jeremy Dean, their biggest lead. "I don't believe what you say for a second!"

"I've been a cop long enough to develop good instincts. Right now, they are telling me that Dean and his group aren't just ordinary crooks and terrorists. I know you know something about them that you're not telling us," observed Ross. "We both know something is up, so just tell us now and save both of us the trouble."

Andy thought hard about it before deciding on his course of action. "Alright, but only if you meet my demands. We meet in a sound-proofed room and nothing that I tell you ever leaves that room. Once I'm done, I want you to agree to my request. Do we have a deal?" 

"A request?" asked Ross. "What kind?" 

"It would make sense if I told you my story first. So, what's your answer?" asked Andy.

"Okay, you have a deal," agreed Ross, seeing as there was no other alternative. 

"Good, bring Gillian's head along. I want the kids to use their PETs to dig up information from it," said Andy.

The group took seats around a table in the sound-proofed room Andy requested. "Alright, we're all here. What do you have to say, Mr. Zimmerman?"

"First of all, my name is not Andy Zimmerman. My real name is Athrun Zala. I'm a special forces agent from the Orb Union," revealed Andy

"Now Orb's involved?" asked Naomi.

"It WAS their equipment that got stolen," emphasized Ross. "Please continue..." 

"A few months ago, some of our munitions depots had been hit by Blue Cosmos," continued Athrun. "When they began to sell their stolen property on the black market, our agents discovered that all of our mobile suits were being purchased by the same buyer. We don't know who they are or why they want them, but I'm here to find out and recover our property."

"So you were on Jeremy's trail just like we were," noted Naomi.

"That's right," replied Athrun. "I had infiltrated Blue Cosmos to see the buyers in person. I planted a tracking bug on one of our stolen M1 Astrays and have been tailing Dean ever since. However, you two were giving me a hard time and interfering with my mission." 

"Oh sure, blame us!" complained Naomi bitterly. 

"Well, now we know why you wanted to keep this meeting a secret," remarked Ross.

"Yeah, just recently, my bug detector stopped tracking my bug. I'm certain they discovered it. That doesn't matter anymore. We now have Gillian's head, which contains all the information we need. Lan, you're a good Net battler are you?" asked Andy.

"Yeah, Mayl and I are both licensed to solve cyber crimes for Dentech City. We also won first place in the Dentech doubles competition a month ago. Last year, I won second place in the Dentech singles competition last year," replied Lan.

"That's quite a resume," complimented Andy. "...But what would these guys want with you?"

"I can answer that," replied Famous. "Lan is the son of Dr. Yuchiro Hikari, who is a great computer scientist and researcher. He does work for various groups including corporations and government. He has access to a variety of confidential information such as encryption methods and code employed by these agencies. Fortunately, the enemy didn't succeed at acquiring it. Dr. Hikari purged his computer in the nick of time and hid the only copy of the data in a disk he gave to Lan."

"You mean dad gave me these secrets and I was carrying it the whole time?" asked Lan. 

"Yeah, since you got away, you did everyone a big favour," said Famous.

"Lan, why don't you send Megaman in to poke around in Gillian's memory?"

Lan attached a special converter to a port hidden behind Gillian's hair. He plugged his PET into the converter transferring Megaman into Gillian's memory. Naomi's fight with Gillian had resulted in a crash of her computer. The Net in Gillian's mind was a complete mess with screens of information opened haphazardly everywhere. However, most of her data seemed to have survived the battle intact. Megaman began to clean up the area so it would be more presentable before displaying all of her information on windows. He scanned through the information at a breakneck pace, searching for anything of pertinence. Once he found the right info, Megaman highlighted entries of interest.

"She's been a very bad girl. She's been stealing a lot of stuff from many different places," remarked Megaman. "She even stole the Dragonballs from the guys of Dragonball Z."

"The Dragonballs? Wow, I wouldn't want to get any of those guys mad," commented Lan.

"Wait, I found something. Omnipotence?"

Megaman displayed a message Gillian had received from what was known as "Omnipotence HQ." In this message was an order to protect Jeremy as he met with Blue Cosmos representatives. The two groups were to make an exchange. "Omnipotence" would give money in unmarked bills for an Orb M1 Astray mobile suit captured by Blue Cosmos. This meeting was the one Athrun was involved in and the same one raided by the Martian Police Department. Her other major order was to steal any powerful artefacts of ki, psionic, or magical power she could possibly find and hand them to over to her masters in Omnipotence. 

"So, the crooks have a name," remarked Ross. 

"Yeah," agreed Andy. "These guys aren't ordinary criminals. They're professionals and pack a lot of heat on their side. They even have Supernaturals working for them." 

"Supernaturals?" asked Robin.

"Yes, people like you. I saw you do it when you were fighting Dean's men. You can start fires with your mind, right?" asked Andy. 

"Yeah," replied Robin.

"Well, where I'm from, the human race is divided into two major groups. The first is the Coordinators; humans who were genetically engineered. I'm a Coordinator, by the way. The other are Naturals, or people who were born naturally," informed Athrun. "However, we've only begun to encounter people like you, Robin; people with abilities that even Coordinators don't have. We dubbed them 'Supernaturals' because of that."

"You've been very helpful, ahem, Andy, but I'm sure there's a catch," observed Naomi.

"My last request... It's simple one. I want to join you. With some of their most valuable players eliminated, Omnipotence will increase security. From what I've learned about them, I doubt I can I deal with them by myself."

"I see. I think we can work something out, 'Mr. Zimmerman.' Consider yourself a part of the team," agreed Ross.

"If Omnipotence is employing Witches for terrorism, Solomon can't ignore it. Count us in," agreed Miho.

"The Netsabres also have a vested interest in stopping Omnipotence. I'm sending Mayl and Lan to help you," announced Famous.

"Us?" asked Lan and Mayl in return.

"Yes, they will find your Net battling skills handy for their investigation. This is your new assignment, Lan, Mayl," replied Famous.

"Okay Mr. Famous, you can count on us!" replied Lan.

"That's Famous, just Famous," corrected Famous.

Ross was pleased. "Well, looks like things are looking up. Lan, can Megaman find anything about where they've taken the mobile suits?"

"Okay, let me check." Megaman sifted through Gillian's data in search of anything pertinent to Athrun's request. "Found it! They're taking all of the mobile suits to a warehouse on 2001 Acme St. in Toontown."

"Finally, a lead! Time to kick some ass!" declared Naomi.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, not so fast. Let's take a moment to prepare. We can bust in and get those guys once we're ready," warned Athrun.

* * *

The counter-terrorists entered the animated city of Toontown. Unlike the gritty streets of a place like Saint Lowell, Toontown was a rather bizarre city for anime characters such as the busters. It was a wacky, chaotic place filled with the slapstick Western Toons familiar to American audiences. Those wacky Toons were busy with their chores and duties for the day. The sun had a smiling face and was moving to the beat of some music from his headphones. A line of baby ducks followed its mother as she crossed a busy intersection in the business district. The cars waited as the infinitely long line crossed the street.

Elsewhere, the Roadrunner came to a red light and stopped. "Meep-meep!" it chimed, sticking out its tongue before continuing on its path.

No even a minute had passed before Wile E. Coyote came soaring right on the bird's trail. On his feet were jet-powered roller-skates which made him as fast as his eternal nemesis. Unfortunately for him, the lights turned red moments before he reached the intersection. Unable to stop in time, the Coyote barrelled into the intersection, right into the path of oncoming traffic. A giant meat truck crashed into him with an audible thumping sound. The truck shuddered as it squashed Wile E. Coyote as flat as a pancake.

"Hey Mac, did you feel that?" asked the Toon passenger.

"Yeah, damn speed bump!" quipped Mac. "Why did they have to put one out here?" Back at the intersection, a pair of feet stretched out of the Coyote pancake. It stumbled out of the intersection in a daze; stars flickering above its head all along the way.

At the Toontown police headquarters, the counter-terrorists set up shop for their raid on Omnipotence's Toontown warehouse. Athrun, Ross, and Naomi were shown to the weapons storage facility by an anthropomorphic weasel police officer with a somewhat shady appearance. "Take all the guns you need," offered the cop.

"Thanks a lot, Chief Smart Ass," said Ross. As Smart Ass left, Ross, bemused by the police chief's strange name, smirked.

In the room were rows upon rows of guns. They ranged from lowly pistols, the sidearm of choice for the modern Toontown Police Department officer. Next on the racks were submachine guns, more powerful and rapidly firing than the pistols. Athrun took one of the guns and looked down its iron targeting reticule to acquire a feel for the weapon. Ross opened one of the guns and checked the chamber for the calibre of its bullets. The more powerful fare consisted of assault rifles of various calibres and ranges. These weapons were the powerful stuff used by more heavily armed SWAT teams. Naomi took one of the rifles and grasped it to get a feel for the weapon's handling.

In a nearby firing range, the Witch hunters made special preparations of their own. They received a pair of clear plastic kegs filled with the same green fluid that served as their handgun ammunition. With this special order came a set of guns similar to the ones they used during Witch hunts. They loaded these new guns with the green liquid. These kegs and special weaponry came courtesy of the STNJ, the Japanese branch of Solomon, the Witch hunting organisation in their world. Now that it was known that Omnipotence had Witches as members, this liquid would be key to fighting them.

"What is that stuff?" asked Mayl as she looked over the liquid.

"Orbo," replied Robin.

"Orbo?"

"It's a liquid we use to hunt Witches," replied Miho. "It protects us from their powers. We also use it ammunition in our guns."

"Wow! It must be really useful," remarked Mayl. The liquid seemed to glow as though it was emitting radiation. "Looks pretty dangerous..."

"Oh, orbo doesn't hurt anyone except Witches. It just stuns them so we can capture them," replied Miho. She filled a small vial with orbo and put it around Mayl's neck like a necklace. "Wear this. It will protect you like a magic charm."

Athrun, Ross, and Naomi emerged from the gun storage area. "Ready to go?" asked Ross.

"Almost," replied Miho. "Take those guns and necklaces on the table. They are specially designed for hunting witches."

Ross took the orbo gun from the table and opened the bullet chamber. Unlike a typical handgun, an orbo gun wasn't designed for firing bullets. There was an opening, a feed for a vial of liquid which served as the true ammunition of the weapon. Ross took his weapon to a firing range and squeezed off a round. With a hiss, the gun released a blob of sludge which splattered on the head of a paper target marker. Ross fired off a few more shots to become accustomed to the weapon. Once finished with his practice, he holstered the weapon and put on his orbo necklace.

"Okay everybody, finish up. We're moving out," announced Ross.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#12 Tenman, The Star of Abundance: Robin Sena (Witch Hunter Robin) #15 Tenritsu, The Star of the Standing Spear: "Andy Zimmerman," aka Athrun Zala (Gundam Seed) #36 Tenkou, The Clever Star: Miho Karasuma (Witch Hunter Robin) 

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#44 Chiki, The Strange Star: Mayl/Roll (Megaman NT Warrior) #45 Chimou, The Ferocious Star: Lan/Megaman (Megaman NT Warrior)

Spotlight: Armitage III

This anime takes place in a future where humans have colonized Mars. The Armitage III world is a cyberpunk world, a bleak place where robots have become incredibly advanced. The ultimate in robots, the Thirds, is created. They are as human as an android can get. They have organic parts, true emotions, and even the ability to reproduce. They were created to solve the problem of declining Martian birthrates, which threatened the sovereignty of Mars.

Origin:  
Ross and Naomi are both officers of the Martian Police Department. Before coming to Mars, Ross used to be an officer on Earth, where his old partner was killed in the line of duty by a criminal robot. Naomi, on the other hand, was created by the original creator of the Thirds, Dr. Asakura. Naomi and Ross were paired together to capture Rene D'anclaude, the suspect in the murder of a Third country singer. This case escalated in scope from murder to state-sponsored terrorism. Since this case, they remained together ever since, fell in love, and even had a daughter named Yoko. 

Powers:  
The Armitage III world is a world based heavily on the laws of science, with a technology level greater than our own. For example, humanity has spaceships powerful enough to go to Mars and even colonize it. Robotic technology has evolved to the point of where it is possible to create something like the Thirds. Science reigns supreme here and the other powers types are virtually unheard of.

Both Ross and Naomi are MPD police officers and are trained in SWAT as well as first aid. In Ross' case, he had sustained severe injuries over the course of his career. They resulted in the amputation of limbs and their replacement by cybernetic prosthetics. These artificial limbs and parts give him greater physical capability when compared to a normal human, but still not on par with a full android's capabilities. Naomi, however, is a full android with all the advantages of being one. She is faster, stronger, and far more resilient than a normal human. As a robot, she lacks a brain and is therefore immune to mind affecting powers.


	8. SciPsi Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3**

Sci/Psi Story, part 3: Toontown Burns 

"Smile, darn ya smile, to know this whole this world is a great world after all..." sang a Toon rabbit as he drove down the street.

The snow white Toon rabbit was a bizarre being indeed. He was a comical character in red suspenders and a large blue bow tie with yellow polka dots. His attire made him look like a clown, an appropriate attire for one of his occupation. This rabbit, Roger Rabbit, was an actor in a series of humourous cartoons for Maroon Cartoons. After a hard day of work, Roger was eager to return home to his loving wife Jessica and his children.

However, getting home was an epic quest in itself. Roger was still not a very good driver, even after all these years. He just didn't have any talent for it at all. As he travelled down the street went his Toon car, he oversteered to the right and ploughed into the sidewalk. His tires tore a fire hydrant out of the ground, causing a geyser of water to shoot into the air. He turned his wheel to compensate and return to the road. However, he overcompensated and slammed his car into a pair of newspaper dispensers just a few metres from the hydrant.

Roger returned his car to the road and continued on his way. "Okay Roger, calm down. You can do this!" he told himself mentally. "You're not a bad driver like everyone says you are. You can drive a car as well as anyone else."

Roger's car continued its way down the street as normal. It was late in the night and the roads were largely devoid of cars. Roger was tired from his day of work, so his eyelids began to droop. The scene went black momentarily before Roger reopened his eyes. In that brief time, the hood of his car became covered with garbage, broken twigs, and mud. His eyelids drooped again, the scene going momentarily black a second time. Like before he reopened them again.

Roger found himself driving along the road again, but the street lights on the left were now closer to his vehicle. In his sleepiness, he didn't seem to notice that he was driving on the wrong side of the road, and didn't care. His car continued along until his eyelids closed again, making everything pitch black. Once he reopened his eyes, he saw that he was about to crash into a metal garage door! Roger immediately slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. The tires screeched as the car crashed through the door and spilled into the interior of a massive warehouse filled with armed thugs.

Roger shuddered in his seat as the car came to an abrupt halt. The thugs surrounded him and drew guns on him with a series of rapid clicks. Roger raised his hands over his head. "Heh heh heh..." he chuckled nervously. "Nice guns!"

"Nice guns, hah hah hah what a riot!" remarked the head thug, as he laughed. His goons joined in on the laughter, causing Roger to join in as well. After a moment of laughter, they stopped and trained laser target designators to his head. Roger gulped.

Meanwhile, the Sci/Psi team was driving along the streets of Toontown. Following their lead was a squad of police cars and transport trucks to secure the stolen weapons and arms runners. The group converged on 2001 Acme street, the location discovered from data mining Gillian's head. No sooner than the cops had arrived than the crooks scrambled for their vehicles. Police sirens blared as several black cars escorted a pair of large, eighteen-wheeled trucks out of the scene of the crime. 

"There it goes! Follow them!" cried Naomi. She grabbed the radio and activated a switch. "This car 24, we're in pursuit of the suspects at 1500 Acme Street. Clear the roads and seal all exits out of town!"

The truck and its escorts sped down cartoon roads at intense, breakneck speeds. The police follow them unerringly, intent on capturing the crooks and their ill-gotten goods. The truck swerved past a slower moving car and reached an intersection facing a red light. Despite the danger in doing so, the crooks sped into it at top speed. The daring stunt shocked an anthropomorphic dog as he drove his car in from the right. His tires screeched as hit the brakes. His vehicle skid into the intersection and crashed into one of the escorts. Ross and Miho swerved to avoid the wreckage and continue the chase.

"Man, this is exciting!" remarked Lan as he watched police cars surround the crashed escort car.

"One down, two more to go," remarked Naomi in reference to the number of escort cars.

"They're entering a high way!" said Mayl as she watched the truck ascend a ramp ahead of her car.

By now, a police helicopter had joined the chase. As it hovered above, it shined a spotlight down on the truck to identify it. As he approached the highway, the truck driver made a hard right turn onto the road. The truck's trailer skid to the left, tearing a piece of the guard rail off. Miho and Ross were in hot pursuit, skidding into the highway to remain on the chase. Several kilometres down the road, a pair of police officers waited in ambush. Upon hearing the approaching sirens and seeing the spotlight, the officers threw several spike strips across the road. 

"There are spikes up ahead!" observed the truck's passenger.

"...Then do something, moron!" replied the driver.

The passenger concentrated, drawing upon psionic energy. With but a thought, the passenger threw the spike strips out of his truck's path. Doing so, he moved the strips to the side, where the escorts would drive over them instead. The escort cars' tires burst with a loud popping sound as they began to lose ground to the police. A pair of police cars broke formation and skid their cars to a stop in front of the escorts. As police trained guns on them, the men exited their cars with arms raised.

"This is car 24; the remaining two escorts have been apprehended. We are continuing pursuit of the truck," reported Naomi over the radio.

The chase continued along the road until a large line of flashing lights covered the horizon. "Hah hah! We got'em now!" remarked Lan as he realized it was a road block constructed from police cars. 

Instead of slowing down, the truck increased its speed instead. "They're out of their minds!" remarked Ross, realizing that the truck driver could only be intending to smash his way through.

"Hold on tight, this could get bumpy!" cried Naomi.

The truck slammed into the cars with a loud crashing and screeching. The police officers went diving in different directions just to avoid being run over. Sparks, glass, and metal debris went flying everywhere. Despite this shocking action by the arms runners, the police continued the chase. The truck continued on its way until it smashed through a retaining wall and onto the roads used by a series of racers competing in a rally. The racers were as varied and unique as the vehicles they drove.

"In the lead is the Turbo Terrific, but the Bulletproof Bomb is coming from behind hoping to take the lead," reported a commentator over a public announcement speaker. "In the second last spot is the Army Surplus Special and bringing up the rear is Dick Dastardly and Muttley in the Mean Machine. This is a close race folks and anybody could take it... Wait a minute; it seems we have several new racers coming up from the rear."

A moustachioed, unscrupulous man in a violet overcoat looked out of the side window of his rocket-powered car. It was a suitably villainous appearing vehicle with a violet painted chassis, a sharp horn for its front fender, and a dragon-like wing for a dorsal fin. "Muttley, do something!" cried this man, Dick Dastardly to his canine companion.

Muttley, Dastardly's scruffy, shaggy canine partner in crime, pulled a lever on the Mean Machine's dashboard. A machinegun popped out of a compartment near the rear and fired upon the arms running truck. However, the passenger caught the bullets in a net of telekinetic force, stopping them dead midair to Dastardly's surprise. The truck sped ahead, passing three other racers. Miho's car pulled ahead of Ross' as both attempted to pass the Mean Machine. Dastardly turned his weapon onto the vehicles.

However, Robin was one step ahead of the double-dealing do-badder, Dick Dastardly. Using her Craft, she incinerated each of the bullets in bursts of orangey flame before they could even get near her car. They fires burst in the air until sparks leapt out and touched the bullets in the belt that fed ammunition to the gun. A chaotic series of bangs followed as the bullets began to fire by themselves and chew through the Mean Machine's chassis. Dastardly lost control of his vehicle, which spun out of control and began to fall behind the other vehicles. Once it had dropped several metres behind the police cruisers, the Mean Machine exploded.

A charcoal-covered Dastardly and Muttley emerged from the wreckage of their vehicle. "Hee hee hee hee hee!" snickered Muttley in a wheezing voice.

"Drat, drat, and double drat!" cursed Dastardly.

The truck continued on its way, passing several racers, even the ones in the lead. It smashed through a retaining wall on an approaching curve and burst into the wilderness. From the speed and darkness of night, the trees seemed to blur as they passed by the vehicles. A strange sound came from the trailer of the truck. "Did anyone just hear that?" asked Naomi.

"Hear what?" asked Ross as he continued to pursue the truck.

A faint thumping came from within the trailer of the truck. Something inside was hitting the door. Whatever it was, it seemed to be saying something. "Get me out of here!" came the muffled voice.

"I think someone's inside the trailer," informed Naomi as she struggled to make out the voice of the hostage.

"Get me out of here!" screamed the muffled voice again.

"I heard it too. Someone's inside the truck!" said Mayl.

"Ross, pull us closer to the trailer," demanded Naomi.

"What? You're seriously not thinking of doing what I think you're doing, are you?" asked Ross.

The thumping continued until the trailer door burst open. Inside was Roger Rabbit, who was tied by several ropes. "Help me pleeeeeeease! Get me out of here!" he cried to the terrorist hunters. The truck hit a bump which caused him to slide dangerously close to the edge of the trailer. The rabbit's eyes literally jumped out of their sockets upon seeing the dangerous predicament he was in. "YAAAAAAH!"

"Hey, that's Roger Rabbit!" said Mayl. "He's on the cartoons I watch!"

"If that truck takes another bump, he'll slide onto the road!" observed Ross.

"Ross, get us closer. I'm going to get onto the truck, rescue the rabbit, and then take those punks out!" announced Naomi.

"That's crazy, but that's what I like about you, honey. You don't shy away from taking risks," said Ross.

Naomi smiled. "Wish me luck."

Ross accelerated his car to bring it alongside the truck. As he did so, Naomi began to climbed out of her window and onto the roof of her car. The truck passenger saw the move and warned the driver. Ross shifted his car to the right as though passing into a new lane. The trailer shifted right as well, forcing Ross to back off. Ross dropped speed to follow behind the truck. He tried again, this time wheeling around to its left. The MPD policeman accelerated until he was close enough for Naomi to leap into the trailer. She nabbed Roger, leapt back to her car, and shoved him into her old seat.

"Okay, he's safe, give'em hell, honey!" cheered Ross.

"I sure will!" replied Naomi.

Ross pulled his car beside the truck once again, allowing his wife to leap onto its roof. Maintaining her balance, she inched her way down the length of the vehicle and to the driver's cabin. "Wow, I'm sitting next to Roger Rabbit!" exclaimed Mayl as she untied his ropes from behind. "I hope those guys didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, thank you for saving me, uh..." 

Lan, Mayl, and Ross introduced themselves to Roger. "Nice to meet you all," said Roger.

Once Naomi reached the halfway point of the truck, she heard a swishing sound approach the police cars from behind. In the sky, a distortion solidified to reveal an unidentified attack helicopter. "Oh great," she groaned.

This black chopper launched a missile into the police helicopter, blowing it into fiery fragments. After lining up its shot, a second missile swooshed out of the helicopter and slammed into the road ahead. Ross swerved to avoid the blast, while the other cars stopped to avoid spilling into the pothole. With Miho's and the other cars out of the race, it was up to Ross and Naomi to catch the crooks. "Plug this into that hole over there," instructed Lan.

"This one?" asked Roger, pointing to a computer port on the car's dashboard.

"Yeah, that's the one," affirmed Lan as Roger plugged his PET cable in. "Jack in Megaman, power up!"

"Okay Lan, I'm in," announced Megaman.

Moments later, Roll appeared beside him. "Don't forget about me," she scolded.

"Okay you two, get that helicopter off of our backs," ordered Lan. 

The two Net Navis advanced through the helicopter's computer network and located its control centre. They were immediately beset by several viruses that resembled soldiers in camouflage uniforms. The soldiers opened fire on the Navis who dove for cover behind some metal boxes. The two sides became deadlocked in a dangerous fire fight where several shots flew back and forth. Lan and Mayl were growing frustrated with their Navis being pinned so by enemy fire. 

"Come on, we don't have all day," muttered Mayl in frustration.

"Whaaaaaaah!" cried Roger as a missile burst ahead of them.

"Oh shit!" cursed Ross.

The police car went sailing into the large pothole punched into the highway by the blast. The whole car shuddered as its front shot into the hole. Lan nearly hit the driver's seat as he fell forward. Though Ross had jammed on the breaks, the car was unable to stop in time from falling in. The car landed onto the ground below with a loud crash. Though the landing shook up everyone in the vehicle, nobody had been physically hurt in the accident. Roger was terrified out of his mind and screaming like a maniac.

Ross pulled out the radio and signalled Naomi. "Naomi, they got us. It's all up to you now."

Naomi fought her way through the fierce wind generated by the truck travelling at such high speeds. It was dangerous for a typical human to walk on a truck's roof like this, but her greater android reflexes compensated for this. However, her footsteps grew louder until they drew the attention of the occupants of the cabin. "There's someone on the trailer," observed the driver. "Get rid of him."

The passenger climbed out of the cabin and onto the roof on the cabin. With a gesture, he generated a burst of telekinetic force which pushed Naomi onto the ground. The thuggish passenger advanced on her, the intent to harm clear on his face. Naomi got up and charged at the man, who raised a barrier of psionic force to repel her. Naomi hammered away at the shield, forcing the man to give ground to handle the onslaught of blows. The man retreated all the way until he reached the front end of the trailer. In a desperate act, the man exerted all of his power to hurl Naomi all the way to the rear of the trailer. Naomi leapt to her feet only to be hurled back nearly off the ledge, to which she hung onto for dear life.

"This is where you get off," gloated the man.

He applied psionic force to her in an effort to rip her off of the ledge. Naomi held on with all of the power she could muster. The metal of the cabin was beginning to crumble and deform under the strain of such great force being exerted on it. She could hear it tear and rip as the psionic force pulled away at her body. The psychic man turned up the power until the metal finally gave out. The ledge ripped apart, throwing Naomi on the road roughly. As she looked up, the truck sped into the horizon and vanished.

* * *

Two hours later, the Sci/Psi team returned to the station in defeat. One could feel the disappointment radiate off of their persons as they entered the building. After questioning, Roger didn't know who the men were and why they were there. He was largely an innocent bystander who was dragged into this by the criminals. He had been captured by them when he accidentally crashed into their warehouse. Their only consolation the team could take was the fact that they had saved Roger, a Toon icon, from certain death at the hands of Omnipotence terrorists.

However, Athrun was deep in thought. "Andy, something seems to be on your mind..." remarked Naomi.

"Yeah," he replied. "It's the uniforms those men were wearing. It was only a brief glimpse in their mirror, but I'm positive those were the uniforms of Orb military." 

"Are you absolutely sure?" asked Naomi. "I saw one of the men close up. I can show you a picture of him." 

Naomi plugged herself to a nearby computer via a wire from the device. The man that had attacked Naomi was in a khaki uniform with the emblem of the sun placed over a black, winged, manta-ray like icon. Upon zooming in to the icon for a close up, Athrun saw the name of his country emblazoned on the uniform, which only confirmed his suspicions. "There's no doubt about it. That is an Orb uniform," Athrun wondered out loud. "It doesn't make any sense. Why are they using Orb Uniforms. I know they have to be Omnipotence."

"Maybe they're just making use of their stolen stuff," suggested Naomi.

"Maybe," replied Athrun. "...But something doesn't feel right about this. The other thugs didn't wear uniforms so why are these ones?" 

Ross walked in on their conversation. "Naomi, I'm going to drive Roger back to his home. I'm be back a while later if you need me."

"Okay honey, come back safely," replied Naomi.

Moments later, Ross started the car and travelled down the road to bringing Roger home. As he pulled up to an intersection, facing a red light, Roger looked around. His ride had stopped in the middle of a residential zone. Toontown or rather, its country, the entire Tooniverse, was about to undergo a national election. Several picket signs decorated front lawns with advertisements for the candidates. It was a neighbourhood divided, as each household favoured a different candidate to win the election. 

"Hmm, looks like they're electing a new president," muttered Ross.

"Yeah, a lot of big names are running this time. Even Adam Acme's running. I'm thinking of voting for Mickey Mouse personally," commented Roger.

"Adam Acme?" asked Ross. "Isn't he the owner of the Acme company? He's a human isn't he? A real human I mean, not a Toon human..." 

"Yeah, but he lives in Toontown. I guess he just likes working with us Toons. He's so much like Marvin Acme, right before the day he died." After mentioning Marvin, Roger's voice trailed off.

The light turned green and Ross continued ahead. "I'm not surprised you'd know so much about him. As I recall, there was a big murder case in the forties involving him."

"Yeah, they thought I was the one who did it. They thought I was the one who killed Marvin, but Eddie cleared my name. It was Judge Doom who killed him and then tried to frame me," said Roger. "That was a long time ago. I still remember it like it was yesterday." 

After a few more minutes of driving, Ross stopped his car at 1947 Disney Boulevard, the location of Roger's mansion. Ross waited in his car while Roger walked up to his door and rang the bell. His wife, Jessica Rabbit, a beautiful red-headed Toon, opened the door. "Oh Roger! I'm so glad to see you!"

"It's good to finally be home, honey," replied Roger. He turned to Ross and waved. "Thanks Ross! Catch those crooks for me!"

"Sure Roger, have a good night," Ross called back. He raised his window and set his car into motion.

Roger passed through his hallway spotted several various anime children and teenagers talking to each other. "Hey! We have guests," remarked Roger. 

"Yeah, it's a long story, honey. Sit down and let me tell you everything..." said Jessica.

* * *

The next morning, the police meticulously searched Omnipotence's Toontown warehouse for further clues. Ross and the detectives scoured the building grounds but found nothing and returned to the station empty-handed. Before Omnipotence's arms runners fled, they had already done everything they needed to before leaving. All of their equipment and goods were and packed and carried away by the trucks. They had already cleaned the area of fingerprints and other clues that could be used as a lead just before the police came. Their last hope was information from the men but that lead didn't come through.

Ross glanced over the doctors' reports with frustration before throwing it back on the table. They had attempted to surgically remove or disarm the poisoning devices on the captured men, but Omnipotence activated them early to cut off the leads. "Damn, not again!" he cursed.

Miho read the reports. "The doctors were unable to stop the spread of the poison..."

"There goes our lead," Lan sighed. 

With the death of the mean, it seemed that all leads to Omnipotence had dried up. Just moments later, the station received an alarmed radio message from dispatch. It prompted a message over the station's announcement speakers. "All officers please report to the briefing room on the double!"

Several police officers scrambled to reach the meeting. "Excuse me, but what's happening?" asked Robin to one of the mobilizing officers. 

"Toontown is under attack! There are several giant robots attacking the south end. It's total chaos out there! All of the people in the station are heading out," replied the officer. 

"Okay, thank you for your time," said Robin. 

"What do we do now?" asked Mayl. "We're not a part of this station. We're only here to track Omnipotence." 

"Actually, I'm thinking of going out and seeing what this is all about for myself," said Naomi. "If any of you want to come, you're free to join me."

"Well, I am curious to see who is making such a commotion, so count me in," said Miho.

The others agreed to come along and scrambled for their vehicles. As the counter-terrorists sped to the south end, they spotted the giant robots mentioned by the officer. The lead robot aimed its gun at a nearby office building. A beam of blue coherent light streamed out of the weapon and burned a gaping hole. That beam had killed hundreds of Toons in the only way possible; complete disintegration. On the street below, hundreds of terrified Toons ran down the street in blind panic. The police were on crowd control, evacuate the people to safety. Athrun took one good look at the machine and instantly recognized it for what it was.

His eyes widened in shock. "Those are Astrays!"

"You mean those things you use in the Orb army?" asked Naomi 

"Yeah," he replied. Upon seeing this Astray, he connected it to the parts in Omnipotence's crates. "Oh no! I hope it's not the one we were following..."

"We screwed up big time," admitted Ross. "Since we failed to stop the arms runners, they were able to assemble the machine and attack Toontown with it."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Lan.

"We'd better get out of here. There's no way we can stop that thing on our own," warned Athrun. "If only I had the Aegis or the Justice..."

"The Aegis and the Justice?" asked Mayl.

"Mobile suits," replied Athrun succinctly. "I piloted them during a war where I was from. We have to get out of here! We don't have the weapons to fight something like that!"

"Miho," said Naomi into the radio. "There's no way we can take on that thing! We have to get out of here!"

The Sci/Psi team turned their cars around and sped off in the other direction. In the meantime, the Astrays continued to annihilate anything in Toontown that got in their way. They pelted the streets and buildings of the formerly peaceful metropolis with beam rifle and machinegun fire. A squad of helicopters emerged over the horizon and unleashed their multi-missile payload. They burst with great force, releasing great amounts of smoke which covered them completely.

Moments before the smoke cleared, a beam of energy burst through the cloud and disintegrated one of the choppers. A second Astray chewed up a second helicopter with machinegun fire. The chopper tumbled out of the sky before exploding upon hitting the ground. Another Astray fired its beam rifle, blowing away yet another chopper with a single shot. On the ground, tanks shelled the mobile suits with minimal effect. Each shot was dead on, but merely served to blow up smoke rather than do any lasting damage. One of the Astrays turned to a tank and fired a beam at it. The beam punctured its way through the tank, causing it to explode violently. Unfazed by the loss of allies, the tanks continued to shell the mobile suits to stop their rampage. 

The Sci/Psi team sped down the streets in search of a safe place to take refuge. A monstrous creature descended in front of Ross' windshield, spooking him into swerving to the right. "What the hell is that thing?" asked Naomi as she tried to analyze what it was.

The creature seemed to be a grotesque bird of some kind. It had a large, inhuman head that made up the majority of its body. This large head had a large maw filled with sharp teeth. It had a humanoid, male torso jutting out of it top and forked hands with claws like that of a bird. The bird followed in hot pursuit even with Ross driving his car at top speed. Naomi crawled to the back, sending Lan to the front to take her seat. She lowered her window and fired several shots at the monster. The first two bullets missed but the third clipped it in the wing, causing it to stumble about. A fourth nailed it in the head, sending it bouncing along the ground like a tumble weed.

"We've got to get out of here!" cried Lan.

"Miho, I'm taking the highway out of town. Keep following us," said Ross into the radio.

"Okay, lead the way," replied the STNJ agent.

The cars continued their way down the street as people in other areas of the city scrambled to safety. More birds descended from the sky onto a terrified crowd of fleeing people. One of the birds clamped its jaws onto an anthropomorphic dog and began to chew. Some of the birds noticed the Sci/Psi team's cars after they climbed up a highway entry ramp. The birds tenaciously followed the cars in search of a delicious meal.

"Faster Ross! They're gaining on us!" cried Mayl.

Naomi readied her gun and leaned out of the window to fire shots. She managed to down half a dozen of them, which was a mere drop in a bucket compared to their vast numbers. Athrun did the same, taking another half dozen out in addition. Some of the birds burst into flame as Robin incinerated through her Craft. No matter how many they downed, more seemed to rise up to take their place.

A missile slammed into the road ahead, punching a massive hole into the highway. Ross skidded into a stop with Miho following suit moments afterwards. "The road's out! What are we going to do?" asked Lan.

"Hold on tight! It's going to get bumpy!" warned Ross as he drove his car straight off of the edge.

The car landed on the street below with a thud that shook everyone inside. Miho's car came moments afterwards. The two cars continued along on the new road with the birds still hot on their trail. Within moments, the birds swarmed over the cars, surrounding it like bees to honey. One of the birds tore into the roof of Ross' car, causing Mayl to scream. Athrun and Naomi fired several shots into the roof to drive the creature away. Robin started several fires in mid air, warding the birds away with a cloud of flame. No matter what they did, the creatures wouldn't leave them alone. They were in a dire situation.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None

Spotlight: Witch Hunter Robin

Robin Sena is the character referred by the anime, Witch Hunter Robin. In her world, Witches are individuals with supernatural powers such as Robin's pyrokinetics. She is a member of the STNJ, the Japanese branch of Solomon, an organisation dedicated to hunting criminal Witches. Unlike in the anime, Witches had become known to the general public in recent years. The anime is actually a sort of fictionalized account of how the STNJ came to discover breaches of ethics within Solomon.

Origin:  
Witches are individuals who inherited supernatural powers from birth. At a later age, these powers would manifest in a manner potentially dangerous to the public. It is even worse if a Witch decided to use his or her powers to commit crimes. In both cases, Solomon dispatches agents or "Witch hunters" to deal with the situation. Newly awakened Witches are brought to training centres to be taught the safe usage of their powers while criminals are imprisoned. Solomon employs Witches and regular humans in their organisation and many new recruits come from these training centres.

Unlike normal Witches, Robin was genetically engineered like the Coordinators of Athrun's world. When the STNJ infiltrated Solomon's orbo production facility, the "Factory," they discovered that Solomon funded the project that created Robin. They also discovered how Solomon manufactured orbo from a Witch's remains. The STNJ blew the whistle on these breaches of ethics, which started a firestorm of scandals and controversy.

Powers:  
The powers of Witches seem like magic due to their esoteric nature, but are really psionic in truth. A Witch may have virtually any "Craft," or power imaginable. Robin's Craft is pyrokinesis; the ability to ignite fires with but a thought. Miho Karasuma's is psychometry. She can touch any object to experience events and feelings related to it. Sometimes, a Witch's craft can have drawbacks, particularly when used at a very high intensity. For example, Robin gets blurred vision if she uses her Craft at too high of an intensity.

Witch hunters also use a special liquid known as "orbo." It is a green, syrup-like fluid that nullifies a Witch's power. It is used as ammunition in hand guns and worn in vials as a defence against Craft. Orbo has been used against non-Witch psionics, but with limited effectiveness compared to Witches. Most orbo is artificial nowadays, but before, Solomon had the unethical practice of manufacturing it from captured Witches. This discovery led to scandal and intense heat from both the public and law enforcement agencies.


	9. Magic Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3**

Magic Story, part 3: Prophecy of the Clow 

With Omnipotence's base under occupation, Izzy and Yolei were free to scan through their files for information. They were astounded by the information contained in the computers. Omnipotence had been responsible for crimes beyond those committed in the Red World. They were responsible for bombing the Zaibach Imperial Palace in Gaea as well as running arms through multi-world criminal fronts. With the reach and willingness to employ violence of such a vast organisation, the threat they posed to the Digital Nation and the other anime worlds was immense. They could not ignore these facts. They had to act before Omnipotence committed more crimes.

Izzy typed away at the computer, displaying the locations of all known bases to his friends. "Yolei, I'm sending the coordinates to Gennai."

"Okay, I'll tell Takuya and Takato," said Yolei.

"There are still more in this world too, we'd better tell Amelia and the others when they get back," said Tentomon.

"Tell me what?" asked Amelia as she walked into the room.

"Oh hi Amelia, we were just looking through the computers. You won't believe what we found," said Yolei.

Amelia read the opened windows on the screen. Her eyes widened in shock. "By Cephied! Do they really have this many hideouts?"

"Yeah, take a look at this," said Izzy as he brought up a map of the Red World. "This is a map of your world and we are here." Izzy pointed to a dot at the southeast continent of the world. "The other dots are enemy hideouts like the one we're in right now."

"Hey, there's one near Saillune!" remarked the champion of justice as she pointed to another of the dozens of dots.

"Is that so?" asked Izzy. "We'd better tell Naga too. In fact, we might as well let every kingdom know while we're at it. I'll just print up some copies..." After Izzy typed some commands, the printer began churning out copies and copies of the map. "...And we're done. Here they are." Amelia took the maps and left the room.

"We've got E-mail from Gennai," replied Yolei. "Okay, he knows about the bad guys. The Digidestined are going to get the bases. They are getting help from local Digimon." An envelope icon flashed indicating that another E-mail had arrived. "Hmm, Takuya sent me an E-mail. He says he is talking to the Great Angels now. He wonders how Koichi is doing."

"Tell him he's fine," said Izzy.

The final icon flashed after Yolei finished Takuya's reply. "It's from Takato. He says the Devas are mobilising a Digimon army. He and the other Tamers are joining it right now."

"Good, at this rate, it won't be long before we clean them out," remarked Izzy. 

"That's good," said Yolei. "We've still got a lot of work to do."

Having mined all of the information they could use, the magic team and the heroes and generals of the Red World gathered to hear Izzy's briefing. The two Digidestined informed their allies of everything to do with Omnipotence, from the existence of other bases to the illegal activities run by this organisation. There was outrage on the faces of people gathered at the assembly to discover how vast the enemy really was. Yolei and Izzy had already warned their friends in the Digital Nation as well as Amelia and Naga. Sakura had warned Clow Reed as well.

"What now?" asked Sakura.

"Same thing we did here; we're going to hit more bases," announced Koichi, as leader of the magic team. "Izzy, what others are there besides the ones you mentioned?" 

"After calling our friends, we are left with three locations. They are Rogue Town of Great Blue, Ironia of Gaea, and Tokyo-3 of Evangelia," replied Izzy.

Izzy proceeded to describe each of the worlds that held the three remaining bases. The first, Rogue Town was in the world of "Great Blue" where the anime One Piece was filmed. It was a world of swashbuckling heroism and pirates sailing the seas for treasure. The people of that world were generally of a lower technological level than the Digital Nation, but higher than that of the Age of Exploration of the Real World. That world produced the rare and dangerous fruits known as Cursed Fruit. When consumed, these fruits granted amazing superhuman abilities and traits, but cursed the user with the inability to swim. They were poisonous to people that already had supernatural powers, so the team had to be cautious of what they ate while they there. 

Izzy continued with a description of the next location, Ironia in Gaea. Gaea was the world of Escaflowne, an anime of giant robots called Guymelefs. There had been a war similar to the one depicted on the anime, but it had long since passed. Only the Zaibach nation was truly advanced, but its technology was steam-based rather than the electronics-based technology of the Real World or Sakura's home world. Ironia was a small nation south of Zaibach that was ruled by a dictatorship. It was likely that the government there would be hostile to the movements and activities of the magic team.

The last location was Tokyo-3 in Evangelia. This was the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was a world that was outwardly similar to the world of the Clow magicians, Tarota, and the Real Worlds of the Digital Nations, but had higher technology. It too, was a world of giant robots, but they were organic in nature rather than mechanical. This was a world which suffered from occasional attacks by the alien beings known as the "Angels." A pair of disasters, called "Impacts," had brought turmoil and chaos to the world, resulting in the current situation there.

"Keep in mind that the bases in Tokyo-3 and Rogue Town aren't in the countryside like Ironia's," warned Izzy. "They're in the middle of cities so we have to be careful about how we go about capturing them. I personally suggest that we should go to the one in Rogue Town." 

"Why that one?" asked Amelia.

"Rogue Town is the location with the lowest technology. They don't have computers or phones that we can use to call for help, so we pretty much have to take care of that one ourselves. We can call for help in Evangelia, so we don't need to worry about that one. The Ironian one is a very interesting case. About a month ago, Omnipotence had bombed the neighbouring country, Zaibach. They probably don't know who was responsible, so I'll supply that information for them." 

When the briefing was over, it was very late so the magic team turned in for the night. They made use of Omnipotence's facilities, which were meagre since it was meant for soldiers on duty, not for luxury. Later during the night, Sakura began tossing and turning in her cot. She found herself standing in the centre of a ruined cartoon city. She stood mouth wide open in awe of the devastation that was prevalent all around her. "Where am I?" she asked.

Chaos had descended on the city, where buildings had been smashed to rubble by devastating weapons. Potholes were everywhere on the street, strewn about randomly to give it the consistency of Swiss cheese. Cars and even trucks weighing in at multiple tons had been overturned by immense force. From everywhere around, she could hear the sound of panicked humanoid and anthropomorphic Toons fleeing for their lives. In the distance, she could hear the sound of gunfire and saw shots zing by in the sky. They raced towards creatures much like the ones described by Yolei and Koichi as the thieves of the Destiny Stone.

She looked around and saw the other members of her team surrounding her. However, they had several new faces with them, two of which stood out in particular. The first was a white-furred, anthropomorphic rabbit in red, clown-like suspenders. The second was a sultry, sexy woman in a sequined dress as red as her hair. A lone, massive robot barred their path forward. This great weapon of war was white with red highlights and brandished an equally gigantic gun menacingly. As the team prepared to battle this fearsome monstrosity, Sakura's consciousness faded into darkness as she awakened the next day.

* * *

That day, the magic team found themselves walking down rolling green countryside to Rogue Town. Yolei's D-Terminal, a device that functioned as a personal assistant, beeped to indicate the arrival of a radio message. It was from Izzy, who was offering instructions. "Okay, here's the next step. Omnipotence's base is hidden under the Blue Doubloon bar and restaurant at the south end of town. You're just there to scout the place out. Try not to make a scene," said Izzy.

The group travelled through the quaint mortar and plaster town until they came across the Blue Doubloon. There was a wooden sign above the doorway painted with the Blue Doubloon's name. It had pictures of two blue coins replacing the "o's." Turning her back to an alley, Kero slipped out of Sakura's backpack and flew off in search of Omnipotence's Rogue Town hideout. Inside, it was a large, fairly boisterous establishment that served as a watering hole for people from all walks of life. Towards the front were tables of people eating down the delicacies of the sea from various types of fish to lobsters and crabs.

Though popular with Rogue Town's citizens, the Blue Doubloon's biggest customers had to be sailors and pirates. At the back, these very sailors crowded around the bar and back tables as the bartender served drinks to the men and women. The men, who oozed machismo and bravado, bragged about their exploits and adventures in the sea. The audience lapped up every moment and minute detail of their stories. A few others flirted with the bar maids, with one boldly slapping his waitress in the butt. The waitress tittered as she went away to fetch some more drinks.

The magic team sat at one of the front tables and received their menus from a waitress. "Is anyone there?" asked Kero through the power of the Voice card.

"We're here Kero, we read you loud and clear," replied Sakura.

"Good, I found a secret door hidden behind a shelf in the storm cellar. It led me inside this long cobblestone tunnel. I think it leads to the place we're looking for," reported Kero.

"They didn't see you did they?" asked Shaoran.

"Nah, no one was there. Besides, a dose of Sleep card today will keep the guards away," replied the guardian of the Clow.

"Okay, keep up the good work," said Sakura.

"I will. Don't you forget my doggy bag," reminded Kero.

"Don't worry, Kero, we won't," replied Sakura in exasperation.

As the magic team ate, Kero traversed the lengthy hallway underneath the Blue Doubloon. It was a dark, dank place that few people ever frequented. It was the perfect place to hide such unscrupulous people like the thugs of Omnipotence. At the end of the hallway was a single wooden door. Kero called upon the Through to card to generate a temporary hole to enter without triggering alarms by opening the door. Now, his exploration became more dangerous. He could feel the presence of guards throughout the rooms and drab white hallways of the base. He could see a security camera rotating around above and several alert lights and speakers lining the hallway's roof.

At his left and slightly in front was a hallway with another door at the far left facing down the hall. Kero could hear the sound of boisterous cheering from several men. Apparently, the men were watching a sporting event of some kind as they cheered over the voice of an announcer doing commentary. Further down the hall away from Kero's entry point was a door on the left side. He snuck down the hallway, being careful not to be spotted by cameras. He found a ventilation shaft which used to break into the room. Inside, the sight of racks filled with rifles greeted him. There weren't as many compared to the base they captured, suggesting that there were fewer men posted to this hideout.

Suddenly, Kero smelled the sweet scent of cake fill the air. Kero followed the scent through the vent and into another which led to the kitchen. Through the grating, he could see several cooks toiling in a kitchen. Just to the left, he could see several thuggish men eating at tables, which made Kero hungry. Like a gift from the heavens, a cook placed several plates with cake slices just below his vent. Such a feast was too great a temptation for him to resist. Once no one was watching, Kero darted over and snatched one of the slices.

The cook returned and gazed at the plates in puzzlement. One of the cakes had gone missing with only the crumbs remaining on its plate. "Hmm?" 

Inside the vent, Kero chowed down on the cake, unaware of what transpired in the security centre elsewhere in the hideout. In the monitor filled room, a guard noticed something shoot out at a cake in the kitchen. "Hmm, what was that?" asked the first guard.

"You must've been imagining things. I didn't see anything," dismissed the second.

The first rewound the recorded video feed and replayed it in slow motion. Although blurred, he was able to make out what looked like a rat snapping up a slice of cake in the kitchen. "Hmm, looks like some kind of rat," remarked the first.

"I've never seen a rat like that before..." Becoming suspicious, the second guard moved his radio to his mouth and held down a button. "All personnel; there may be an intruder in the compound. Please be on high alert."

From within another ventilation shaft, Kero watched as the guards patrolled the hallway with a noticeably greater frequency. Their aura indicated state of higher alertness than before. He was beginning to regret eating that cake. "Great... Nice one Kero! You HAD to eat that cake, didn't you?" he chided to himself.

Kero worked his way through the vents and came upon a sideways extending hallway with a door. Beside the door was a keypad for entering the special password needed to unlock the door. After ensuring that the coast was clear, Kero slipped into the room with the Through card. The interior was that of a simple storeroom with metallic, reinforced walls. There were shelves along the walls filled with unusual items, some that Kero had never seen before. All of these items radiated supernatural powers of various types from familiar magic to other types.

This array of strange items fascinated Kero to no end. Each item had a tag that identified it. His curiosity brought him to a chunk of silvery ore abandoned on a shelf. Its tag identified it as "Escudo ore," something Kero had some familiarity with. It was a magical substance from Cephiro, a world where a person's beliefs had a profound effect on the world for good or for ill. Escudo was generally used to make magically enhanced weapons and armour. Apparently, Omnipotence was studying it to find ways to employ the magical mineral for whatever their nefarious agenda was. 

Kero heard some stirring at the door. He quickly hid himself behind a tin-like object and watched as an Omnipotence officer entered the room. The man looked over the shelf and picked up a ruby from the shelf. After examining it for a brief moment, the man walked to the door and Kero peeked out to watch him leave. However, the man suddenly turned around instead, having forgotten to collect something else. Kero darted behind the tin, but not before the man noticed his motion. The man walked over to investigate.

"Hmm?" he asked as he moved the tin out of the way.

Kero darted to a lower level of the shelf, but the man noticed it in the corner of his eye. "I saw you! Come out!" The man moved a statue to get to Kero, but the guardian of the Clow bit him in the finger. As the man stumbled around in pain, Kero made a beeline for the door and passed through it with the Through card.

In his haste, Kero had exposed himself to a pair of Omnipotence officers passing through the hall. "What is that thing?" asked the first.

"Get it!" cried the second.

Kero felt like kicking himself. He had botched the infiltration and jeopardized his mission. The alarm began to blare with red lights flashing across the hallway. "Sakura! Are you there?"

"Kero, what's going on?" asked Sakura.

"The guards saw me! They're trying to get me!"

Back at the restaurant, the magic team prepared to move. "Okay Kero, we'll be there as fast as we can. You heard him! We have to move!" demanded Sakura.

"I haven't finished eating yet!" objected Amelia.

"Doggy bag it! That stuffed animal won't last long against those guys," exclaimed Shaoran.

"Hey, I heard that!" objected Kero.

Koichi tossed several coins on the table as payment and followed the others as they scrambled out of the restaurant. As the magic team ran into an alley, Koichi transformed into Duskmon. Hawkmon assumed his Sincerity form, Shurimon, a ninja garbed in white and leaves with shuriken for his hands and feet. Duskmon smashed down the door of the Blue Doubloon's storm cellar and then through a stone door hidden behind a shelf. As the group ran down the hallway, they could hear screaming as well as the other sounds of a commotion. 

Kero, in the form of a great winged puma, smashed through the door leading to the hallway. Several gunshots rang out a split second later and streaked past the opening. "Kero, are you okay?" asked Sakura.

"I'm fine," he replied as he returned to his smaller form. "We have to get out of here!"

Some of the guards stormed into the magic team's hallway, but Amelia was one step ahead of the pack. She raised a barrier of magic which halted their advance flat. The guards opened fire, but the shots merely bounced off the translucent globe. As the group retreated into the storm cellar, Shaoran summoned the Loop card. It brought a band of looped ribbon into being which shined its magical light on the hallway. The men fired on the team only to have their own bullets mow them down from behind. More men flooded into the hallway only to be returned to the hideout entrance when they attempted to enter the storm cellar.

As the team scrambled onto the city streets, half a dozen pirates descended on their location. With preternatural speed, Duskmon dashed through the group. After a brief moment of stasis, all of the men collapsed from lacerations. "This way!" called Amelia.

More Omnipotence men entered the scene from alleyways and side streets. Amelia leapt over a vendor's fish-filled cart as she raced down the streets of Rogue Town. The men behind her crashed into the cart while others shoved it out of the way to continue the chase. The magic team ran towards the square where a scene from One Piece was being filmed. There were lights and cameras everywhere and a three-story gallows at the centre with a crowd gathered around it. A crane raised a camera up to the top where a clown-like pirate held a cutlass to the neck of a young man wearing a straw hat.

As the magic team bust in, the film crew, actors, and extras were startled. "Who the hell are those guys?" asked one of the actors, a green-haired swordsman.

The swordsman's smoking companion watched as the team stopped in the centre and looked around. "They're ruining the take!" complained his companion, a blond in a suave black suit.

Despite scanning in every direction, all that the magic team could see were Omnipotence thugs closing in on them. "We're trapped!" cried Kero.

"Get ready!" warned Shaoran. 

Omnipotence's men opened fire with handguns and assault rifles while others fired bolts of elemental energy from their bare hands. Once the bullets and blasts started to fly, the crowd began to panic. Amelia raised a barrier which kept her, Yolei, and Shaoran safe from incoming fire. The bullets deflected off of the shield while the streams of fire and ice scattered and abated. Shurimon shot into the air and tossed shuriken into the chests of the attackers. The panicking crowd ran randomly through the streets, trampling several Omnipotence agents on their way out.

This was the magic team's chance to get away. "Now's our chance. We'll get away through the sky!" stated Duskmon, who transformed into Velgamon. "I'll cover you. Make a break for it!"

The great dark vulture circled the square and rained beams of destruction upon any of Omnipotence's men who dared to expose themselves. The thugs immediately turned their attacks onto him, taking the pressure off of the magic team. Wasting no time, Shurimon transformed into Halsemon and carried Yolei into the air on his back. Next to retreat was Sakura, who summoned the Fly card to grow wings on the Clow sealing wand. After Shaoran hopped onto the staff, it raised the two magicians to the sky like a witch's broom.

"Amelia, you're the only one left," muttered Velgamon.

Velgamon fired Dark Vortexes into any Omnipotence soldiers who attacked her. After removing whoever threatened Amelia, the only enemies remaining were those focusing their fire on him. Amelia cast the "Raywing" spell, which lifted her body into the sky in a swirl of wind. The princess flew past Velgamon towards the others as he rained Dark Vortexes into the enemy. "We're all here, let's move it!" cried Yolei, who frantically entered a desperate message into her D-Terminal. "Come on Izzy, move it! We don't have all day!" 

As the magic team sped away, Velgamon sensed several objects trailing them. "Careful guys. We have company!"

Streams of flame and electricity streaked by, unnerving the magic team as they banked away. "Hurry up, Izzy! What's taking so long?" muttered Yolei.

On the grassy field below, a circle of light opened. Within its boundaries was an image of the portal room in the captured Omnipotence base. "Look, it's open!" cried Amelia. 

The magic team dodged enemy fire as best as they could. Sakura banked right, narrowly evading an incoming stream of flame. Velgamon intervened with a flap of his wing, sending the attacker crashing into the ground. Amelia dove under a bolt of lightning and fired a bolt of flame, the Flare Arrow spell, at the attacker. As he was reeling from the attack, Amelia bolted for the open portal. An airborne pyrokineticist dove at Yolei only to be blown back by the winds generated by a gesture of her hand. With the enemy hurtling away through the air, Halsemon swooped into the safety of the portal. 

The Clow magicians came under heavier attack now that fewer targets remained to draw fire. It forced Shaoran into raising the Shield card to protect themselves as they made a descent into the portal. Velgamon rammed into the attackers and sent them hurtling around through the air. "Thanks Koichi. We're all safe. You're the last one," cried Sakura.

The enemy turned their full attention onto the dark vulture, but he was the toughest of the magic team yet. Velgamon accelerated to top speed and crashed into the attackers, hurling them in every direction. He flew away from the portal and set up for a straight run at top speed. Moments before going in, Velgamon transformed back into Duskmon with his back to the gateway. Streams of flame and lightning streaked by him, as he fired beams of negative energy in retaliation. The beams went back and forth until he landed on the ground inside the base.

The crew inside took cover as the blasts of elements came roaring into the room. The magicians threw spells into the portal as the super soldiers attempted to fly in. The leader neutralized the spells, forming a wall of plasma that acted like a shield. The leader dropped his shield and threw balls of flame at the magicians. As the leader attempted to pass through, Tentomon lashed out with streams of lightning while Izzy did the same using the power of the Crest of Knowledge. This attack surprised the leader, causing him to stumble backwards. As the leader tried to force his way through the arcing electricity, insects emerged from Izzy's body. To help their master drive the enemy away, they channelled more electricity at the leader. 

"Yolei, close the portal!" cried Izzy. She desperately punched in the proper commands into the console. The portal fell dead immediately.

"Phew, that was close," said Yolei, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Yeah, what happened over there?" asked Izzy trying to catch his breath. "How did you end up with the whole base chasing after you?" 

"Kero got into trouble at the base. We had no choice but to bust in and save him," replied Yolei.

"Arrgggh! I thought I told you not to make a scene! No wonder they came after you like that." Izzy sighed. "Well, get some rest. We'll see if we have better luck with the others later."

* * *

Koichi walked into the lounge and plopped onto a couch. "Hard day?" asked an Agumon who was eating popcorn while watching a movie.

"Yeah, we screwed up a big mission," said Koichi sheepishly.

"Oh, the Omnipotence base? Guess this means I won't be having fun any time soon..." lamented the Agumon.

"Yeah," replied Koichi. "Say, what's that on TV?"

"That? It's just a Pokemon movie. It's the new one, 'Destiny Deoxys.' It just came out on DVD a few days ago. Why don't you watch with me to get your mind off of the mission?"

Later on, Sakura was in her room, seated on her bed with a pensive gaze. "Sakura, you seem like something's on your mind. What's up?" asked Kero.

"I had a strange dream last night," she admitted.

"Hmm... I'm not sure if you remember, but I've told you that dreams can give you a glimpse of the future. Can you tell me what happened?" 

Sakura described the strange location her dream took her; a ruined cartoon city. It was not like the anime cities they had encountered before. This city was a Toon city, one where Western-style Toons lived. Even in its ruined state, the city maintained the sense of whimsy and bizarreness in its nature. Even the sun was had this whimsy, but during her dream, it was shocked and horrified at the events that had occurred. The city was under attack by an unknown military force and the magic team was in the middle of the action, fleeing the city with some others. Sakura's dream ended with the team preparing to battle a giant robot that had blocked their way.

"Interesting," remarked Kero. "I think maybe we should consult Clow."

"Oh yeah!" said Sakura, moving her pin closer to her mouth. "Master Reed, can you hear me?"

"Hi Sakura, I was just thinking of calling you," came Reed's voice through the pin.

Sakura narrated his dream to Clow Reed. "Hmm... Can you describe what the city looked like in more detail?" asked Reed. Sakura described what appeared to be a zany, colourful Toon city which was ruined in her dreams. "Sakura, I had the same dream. So did, Madison, Meilin, and Tory. They came to ask me about it yesterday." 

"The same dream," muttered Kero. "I don't like the sound of that. Since so many of us had the same dream, I think whatever happened is going to come true very soon. I wonder if the kid had one too… In any case we can't let the vision come true. If only we knew when and where this was going to happen."

Sakura and Kero left their room to consult Izzy, the Digidestined of Knowledge. Being the intellectual amongst the team, Izzy was in the best position to find more information about the dream and prevent its events from occurring. They found him looking through the Omnipotence files in the command centre of the base. Sakura repeated everything she had learned from her dream and her conversations with Kero and Clow Reed. Midway into her explanations, Shaoran showed up unexpectedly. He wanted to consult Izzy like the others.

"Sakura, did you have a strange dream within the last few days by any chance?" asked Shaoran.

"Yeah," replied Sakura. "I talked to Kero and Master Reed about it. The master had the same dream too. It seems like everyone had the same dream."

"So all of you had the same dream?" asked Izzy.

"Yeah," replied Kero. "You see, Clow Reed, Meilin, are all magicians like Sakura. Their dreams are a vision into the future. They'd like you to use your computer to help them figure out where their dream happened."

Izzy agreed and typed up some commands into his laptop computer. As he showed various computer generated models of anime and Toon cities, Sakura and Shaoran dismissed each of them as being incorrect. It was not until half an hour later that one of the cities caught their attention. "Stop," commanded Shaoran.

Sakura pointed to an intersection that was barely visible on the screen. "Move over to the area at the upper left." Izzy did so, but the view was still overhead, whereas Sakura was on the street in the dream. "Can you make so it looks like we're standing in the middle of the street?" Izzy rotated the view around with his trackball until it was as if a person was standing in the middle of the street. Izzy rotated the view all around. "Stop!" Sakura took a good look at the location for several seconds. "That's the place!"

"Where is it?" asked Shaoran.

"It's in Toontown. It's on the eastern section of Comedy Lane, three kilometres past Highway 47," informed Izzy.

"We need to go there. We can't let our dream come true. Please get the portal ready while we tell the others," requested Sakura.

Within moments, the magic team found itself in Toontown, the zany city of slapstick Toon characters. "So you're saying Omnipotence is going to attack this town?" asked Yolei.

"Yeah," replied Sakura. "They're going to attack Toontown. We have to stop it." 

The magic team based their search at the local library, the largest bank of information on virtually any subject. The Clow magicians and Koichi searched through several newspaper articles for anything that would suggest Omnipotence activity in Toontown. Yolei browsed through the Internet for anything, even a rumour, which could lead them to Omnipotence's attack on Toontown. So far, all they could find were reports on natural disasters, missing people, and a few wars in other nations. There was nothing that suggested an operation by Omnipotence.

Meanwhile, Amelia spoke with a clerk about accommodations for her team. They may be here for quite awhile, so they stay until they had dealt with the attackers. Since the team would be at the library for awhile, Amelia decided to eat her dinner in the adjoining restaurant. When she had wolfed down the last dish of a ten course meal, it was around nine o'clock in the night. After paying for her meal, she decided to head over to the library to check up on her friends. As she travelled along the street, she heard what sounded like a scuffle.

When she went to check, she spied an attractive red-headed woman being mugged by a pair of hoodlums. One of the men held a knife to her throat. "Give me all your money if you know what's good for ya!" demanded the thug.

"Stop, evil doer. Let the woman go!" demanded Amelia.

The thugs looked up to see Amelia standing at the top of a fire escape railing. "Says who?" asked the armed thug.

"Says me, Amelia, champion of justice," announced Amelia.

"Hey Carl, look at that! Some kid thinks she some kind of Superhero!" said the second mugger through laughter.

"Yeah, go home kid before you get hurt," said the armed mugger.

Miffed at the insults from the muggers, Amelia chanted a spell. An aura of magic rained over the group like flakes of snow gently falling from the sky. Both men and the woman began to feel their eyelids drooping until they collapsed on the ground in a deep sleep. Amelia descended from the top of the railing, crashing into a pile of trash on the way down. "Eeeew, yuck!" she grumbled as she threw away a discarded banana peel. She picked up the red-haired woman and spirited her away to her hotel.

When the woman awoke, she found herself in a strange bed in an unknown hotel. "Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in the Smiling Rabbit hotel," replied Amelia.

"How did I get here?" 

"That was me," replied Amelia. "I used magic to put them to sleep. You were too close, so my spell got you too. I carried you here so you could recover."

"Thank you. Who are you?" asked the woman.

"I'm Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, princess of Saillune Kingdom, and champion of justice!"

"Ah! I thought you looked familiar... It's an honour to meet you, your majesty! I'm Jessica Rabbit. I'm surprised that someone like you would come to such a rough neighbourhood."

"I'm on a very important mission with some friends. You really shouldn't be out by yourself so late. It's not safe."

"I was out looking for my husband, Roger. He told me he would be home by six but it's nine now and he hasn't called back. I'm very worried."

Jessica heard something from a TV set in the neighbouring room. "...Police have identified the hostage as Roger Rabbit, an actor in such cartoons as Baby Herman's bottle."

Jessica bolted out of her bed and glued herself to the TV, which was being watched by the other members of the magic team. She watched as the news followed a dangerous high speed car chase play out in Toontown's highways. Apparently, the crooks were arms runners who were evading capture by the police. They had taken Roger hostage when he accidentally crashed into their warehouse on his way home. Roger was dangerously close to sliding out of the truck's open back door. Another bump would send him into the street, possibly into the path of a squad car. At their speed, the cars would hit Roger, being unable to stop soon enough. Luckily, a female police officer came to the rescue, carrying Roger out of harm's way and back to her car.

"Phew, what a relief! He's safe!" Indeed, Jessica was relieved to see that her husband had made it to safety. "I don't know how to thank you for saving me. Oh, I know! Amelia, why don't you and you and your friends come over and visit. I'll even let you stay over for the night. My home is much nicer place than this hotel."

"That's nice Ms. Rabbit, but we can't trouble you like that," replied Amelia. "We're very busy too, so we can't impose."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," dismissed Jessica. "We don't have guests over too often so it would be a nice change of pace." 

"Well, if you put it that way, I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Amelia.

"Great! Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Jessica Rabbit."

The magic team introduced themselves before agreeing to take Jessica up on her offer. They escorted her home to her mansion at 1947 Disney Boulevard. Since Jessica lived in such a large home, it was obvious that she was from a wealthy family. As the wife of a famous actor and being a famous singer herself, Jessica lived a luxurious life. Her home was grand with a beautiful flower garden for its front lawn. The building itself was an immaculate white, concrete structure, and its interior was large and spacious like its exterior. Two young rabbits with white fur and red hair huddled around Jessica.

"Mom, you're home! Dad just called before you came back," informed the girl rabbit, Rena.

"What did he say?" asked Jessica.

"He said that the police wanted to ask him about some bad men. He will come back when he's done," replied the boy rabbit, Ricky.

"That's good, I saw the police save him on the TV," said Jessica. "Hey kids, I brought over some guests so be nice, okay?"

"Okay mom!" said the kids in unison.

The magic team made themselves comfortable in Jessica's home. She gave Koichi a tour of the mansion. In particular, she showed him a room filled with memorabilia and mementos from her and Roger's work in cartoons. They included a picture of Roger and his cartoon co-workers after a successful season of television. There was a baseball from a game where Roger had thrown the opening pitch. One picture in particular caught Koichi's attention. It was that of a real life gumshoe. It had his signature on it and had the years of his life, 1917 to 1997, printed on the bottom.

"Hey, who's that?" he asked.

"Oh that's Eddie, Eddie Valiant," replied Jessica. "My husband, Roger was framed for murder many years ago. Eddie was the detective who cleared his name. He was a good friend. Roger was devastated when he died. Toons like us can live forever, but humans have such a short life."

"I'm not a normal Toon actually, I'm an anime Toon, but I understand what how you feel," replied Koichi. 

"Anime toon... So you're like Amelia, aren't you?" asked Jessica. "Normally, anime Toons tend stay in their worlds and don't mingle with us, but she said you were on a special mission."

"That's right, Yolei and I are chasing a group of thieves who stole an artefact called a Destiny stone. That theft caused us a lot of problems back in the Digital Nations. After chasing them, we discovered they were more than just thieves. They were terrorists and they're called Omnipotence. They caused so much trouble that Sakura, Shaoran, and Amelia had to help us to fix things back in their worlds. Before we came here, Sakura and Shaoran had dreams that predicted they would attack Toontown too, very soon. We're here to stop them and to get back the stolen stone," informed Koichi.

"You must have had quite an adventure. You're just like our Superheroes," remarked Jessica.

"Yeah, we did," admitted Koichi. "Listen, these people are very violent. None of us know when they'll attack, but we're sure they'll come sooner or later. I think it would be a good idea to somewhere else just in case."

At that moment, Jessica heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it!" Jessica opened the front door and found Roger standing on the other side. "Oh Roger! I'm so glad to see you!" She took Roger in a big bear hug.

"It's good to be home, honey," replied Roger. He turned to the officer who drove him home and waved. "Thanks Ross! Catch those crooks for me!"

"Sure Roger, have a good night," Ross called back. He raised his window and set his car into motion. 

"Hey! We have guests," remarked Roger as he looked at Koichi.

"Yeah, it's a long story, honey. Sit down and let me tell you everything..." said Jessica. Husband and wife sat at the dinner table while she explained everything.

"Wow," remarked Roger. "They're looking for Omnipotence too? Those were the guys who kept me hostage. The cops told me they got away during the chase. If they're looking for them too, they might want to ask Ross about it tomorrow."

"Sure I'll tell them," promised Jessica. "Listen sweetie, these people told me that Toontown was going to be attacked by these guys, but they don't know when."

"They said that?" asked Roger. "I don't know who they are, but Ross told me a few things about the guys who held me hostage. He told me they were moving weapons around; things like guns and bombs. That's why he was chasing that truck. He was trying to catch them, but didn't get them."

"I'm starting to believe them, more than ever now," admitted Jessica. "They said we should pack up our things and go somewhere safer. I think we should listen to them."

The next day, the attack foretold by the Clow magicians occurred with a vengeance. The morning came with thousands of Toons commuting to their place of work. It seemed to be a regular day until a great flash of light consumed Toontown as far as the eye could see. When the light subsided, those closest to the source discovered half a dozen giant robots standing in its place. Without wasting any time, the robots raised their weapons and opened fire on Toontown! The robot's beam seared its way through a towering skyscraper, puncturing a massive hole within it. The top portion of the building, a bank's offices, came crashing down to the streets below.

The robots split up to spread the destruction throughout the city. On the roads, each car sped randomly to get away, but their disorganized escape only served to cause a blockage. One of the machines stomped a hapless car flat, just moments after its occupants abandoned the vehicle. It fired a beam into the jam, annihilating several cars in a single swoop. These callous acts brought sheer terror to the hearts and minds of the Toons. Throughout the city, hundreds of Toons ran for dear life to escape the mechanical marauders. An anthropomorphic dog scooped up his daughter and fled as the robots marched down the street in the background. With each step, the machines' a hydraulic clinking would be forever etched into the minds of their victims.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#9 Tenei, the Heroic Star: Roger Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#46 Chibun, The Learned Star: Koshiro "Izzy" Izumi & Tentomon (Digimon)  
#89 Chizen, The Finished Star: Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) 

Spotlight: Cardcaptors

Cardcaptors focuses on a young girl named Sakura Avalon. She is descended from a powerful magician named Clow Reed, who created a new kind of magic, represented in the form of the Clow cards. One day, Sakura accidentally unsealed the book of Clow, unleashing these magical, tarot-like cards upon the world. The guardian of the seal, Keroberos, tasked Sakura with resealing the cards. If the cards were left unchecked, they would cause untold devastation. Over time, Sakura gained more friends to help her in this quest.

Origin:  
In the anime, only Sakura, Shaoran, and Clow Reed were capable of using Clow cards. However, outside of the anime, there are more people who can use Clow magic, such as Sakura's brother, Tory. Nevertheless, Clow Reed was the one who taught all of them how to use the magic of the cards, as well as other things related to magic.

Powers:  
Cardcaptors has modern day scientific development. However, the main supernatural powers of Cardcaptors is Clow magic, the invocation of the magical cards named after Clow Reed. Each Clow card represents a force of nature or concept that can be called upon should the user choose. As such, Clow magic specializes in summoning. Sakura has all of the original cards, but anyone can summon their power even if she isn't around.

Each magician has affinities for certain cards. These are the ones they tend to use more frequently, efficiently, and effectively. Sakura has affinity for the Windy, Fly, Sleep, and Watery cards. Shaoran has affinity for the Time, Sand, Freeze, and Dash cards. Kero has affinity for all cards that aren't related to the elements of wind and water. Clow Reed has affinity for all of the cards since he was their creator.

Virtually all Clow magicians develop an affinity for the Shield card, due to its incredible defensive usefulness. From their magical training, Clow magicians learn much about magic in general, as well as items of supernatural power. Their training gives them resistance against attempts to possess or influence them mentally or spiritually. Their dreams are also known to have a prophetic quality to them.


	10. Ki Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3**

**Ki Story, part 3: Copy Saiyan Korn **

The ki team put away the newspapers and huddled to determine their next course of action. "What should we do now?" asked Morty.

"Our only lead right now is Leguma. We don't know where they ran to once they came into this world. We'll need some help I was thinking of inquiring at the police station," suggested Trunks.

As Trunks suggested, the team went to the police and reported everything they had encountered in pursuit of the thieves. Trunks began with his story with the theft of the Dragonballs from Namek to the theft of the prayer beads and the thieves' flight to Gaea. The team suspected that the thieves may be involved with the bombing of one of Zaibach's floating fortresses as well as the subsequent theft of classified documents, in particular, blueprints for Dornkirk's Fate Alteration device. The police referred the team to one Folken Fanel, the right-hand man of Emperor Dornkirk of Zaibach. The team waited in the castle's posh waiting room for nearly twenty minutes before he came to meet them.

"Sorry I'm late, I had a very important meeting with the Emperor," apologized Folken. "I'm Folken Fanel, Emperor Dornkirk's Strategos, what you would call an imperial advisor. I'm glad to meet you."

Folken shook hands with each member of the ki team in turn. "Great to meet you too, Mr. Fanel," said Yoh.

Folken eventually reached Trunks. "I presume you're the leader?"

"Yes, I'm Trunks Briefs of Zeta Earth. A group of thieves stole the Dragon Balls from their shrine on Namek. I followed the thieves all the way your world and gained several companions in the process. So far the thieves have escaped us at every opportunity."

The others narrated their stories of similar crimes committed in their worlds and their reasons for uniting with Trunks to retrieve the stolen items. "Hmm, I'm not too surprised to hear this. We know that there have been many items and people disappearing under mysterious circumstances," informed Folken.

"We suspect that these thieves may be involved in the attack on your country," suggested Trunks.

Trunks proceeded to describe Gillian, who his team suspected of being an android due to her unusual capabilities. Yoh proceeded to describe Korn, the man who had taken the stolen Dragon Balls and his family's prayer beads. Last but not least, Sonic proceeded to describe Leguma, the head of the band of thieves who stole the Chaos Emeralds from Knuckles' shrine. Folken absorbed the information intently as each team member described the rogue's gallery involved in the ring. He spread the information to all of Zaibach's authorities, including their spies and informants in other nations.

Within a day, Zaibach's information network had struck gold. One of Zaibach's spies in the neighbouring country of Ironia had spotted Leguma dining with one of Ironia's top officials. The man in question was the head of the Ironian Intelligence Institute, the organization in charge of Ironia's intelligence gathering. When the photos of the meeting came into Folken's hands, he showed them to the ki team so they could identify her. "That is her," confirmed Sonic as he looked over the photos.

"Good, at first I wasn't too sure if the thieves you wanted were involved, but now, after discovering their links to foreign intelligence agencies, I'm becoming more and more convinced," said Folken. "Their modus operandi is exactly like what had happened to my fortress a month ago."

In turn, Folken relayed the confirmation to his emperor, who addressed the nation on live television. "...Foreign partisans have provided new information on the groups responsible. Though their invaluable information, our patriots across the world have located a suspected member of this group. This individual, who goes by the name of Leguma, is also wanted in Zeta Earth, Shamania, and Moebius for a combination of trespassing, destruction of property, burglary, and assault." A picture of Leguma appeared to inform the viewers. "In Zeta Earth and Shamania, she is also wanted for manslaughter."

Dornkirk continued his speech, eventually revealing Leguma's location had been traced to Ironia's capital. As a result, Dornkirk demanded that the Ironians extradite Leguma for questioning. The Ironian government's reply was quite surprising to the nation of Zaibach and the ki team. Ironia told them that Leguma was no longer in their country. She had secretly fled the country during the night and the authorities were unable to locate her. The Ironians apologized for this event and assured the Zaibach that they would do everything in their power to capture Leguma.

The next day, the ki team ate a delicious banquet held on the Blue Typhoon in their honour. With their help, Zaibach was one step closer bringing the ones responsible for the attack to justice. On the dinner table was a great turkey baked in an oven to golden brown perfection. The gravy was rich and smooth to the taste. The baskets were filled with bread and fruit as sweet as candy. There was a pot full of smooth mashed potatoes and small plates filled with blocks of sliced cheese. The team gorged themselves on this banquet to the fullest.

After the banquet Trunks sat down on the bed in his quarters. A flash of insight filled his mind as he sensed a great release of ki somewhere else on Gaea. It was so fast that Trunks almost didn't notice it. From the flash of insight, he got an extremely rough estimate of where the blast of ki originated from. He also knew who had caused the burst of ki. It was Leguma. Trunks scrambled out of his room to reach the thief before she escaped, bumping into Sonic on the way out. "Whoa, where are you going to in such a hurry?"

"It's Leguma! I know where she is!" announced Trunks as he raced for an airlock.

Trunks popped the door open and flew out of the Blue Typhoon. The half-Saiyan raced through the air to reach Leguma as quickly as possible. Within moments, the Blue Typhoon fired its engines and followed his trail. Trunks stopped somewhere above the ocean in a location where a large forested landmass could be seen several miles to the north. Trunks scanned around trying to pinpoint the location of the ki emission. Since the emission happened so quickly, he was unable to pinpoint the exact location. A second flash of insight filled his mind. However, since Trunks was prepared and closer to the source this time, he was able to pinpoint exactly where Leguma was hiding.

In the distance, a faint plume of smoke billowed into the air. The half-Saiyan sped towards the smoke, which was coming from somewhere deep in the forest. It was caused by the impact of a ki blast into the ground. As Trunks soared on ahead, he was able to see several blasts of flame and lightning zinged back and forth from behind trees. These blasts were being fired by several men in camouflage towards a group of soldiers taking refuge behind rocks. Leguma quickly darted towards a portal that had been set-up just a few metres behind her troops. Before Trunks could reach her, one Leguma's men noticed him and fired a blast of lightning. Just a split second before Trunks entered the portal; he sensed the lightning coming dangerously close and veered away.

Though the lightning missed Trunks, it hit the portal, causing it to short circuit and to explode. The force sent Trunks hurtling several feet backwards through the air before he was able to recover. "Trunks, are you okay?" asked Tails over the Blue Typhoon's speaker.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Leguma's men are attacking some people below. There are a lot of them so I'll need some help to clean them out."

"Okay, we're coming," said Yoh.

Trunks sped towards one of the distracted soldiers and chopped him in the back of the head. The victim's comrade noticed Trunks, but before he could react, he was promptly taken out by a blast of ki. More of the men in camouflage noticed the ki team descending upon the battlefield. One of the men fired a stream of flame at Yoh, who blocked it with his Amidamaru-enhanced sword. Yoh countered with a Celestial Slash, cutting down his attacker with a shockwave of crimson ki. He charged at a nearby electrokineticist, cutting him down with a mighty stroke of his blade.

Morty dodged an incoming energy beam, which struck a tree behind him harmlessly. He slammed his Mosuke-empowered mallet into the ground which made a wave of fiery ki erupt forwards. The flames consumed the energy thrower, burning him into nothing but ash. Morty spotted a hulking brute assailing Faust, who was sending waves of skeletons to subdue the man. The skeletons could not contain the brute, who tossed his attackers with ease and was moving dangerously in range of attacking Faust. Morty threw his hammer, which slammed into the back of the man's skull and returned back to his hand. As the brute stumbled forward, Faust fled and the skeletons piled onto him until he was sprawled on the ground.

One by one, each enemy soldier went down until no one was left standing. The victims of the attack, hidden behind several rocks, were free to come out. From the insignias on their armour and clothing, Folken recognized the victims as members of Fanelia's court. The leader, a black-haired young boy with a noble bearing, was a person Folken knew all too well. That boy was Van Fanel, the king of Fanelia and Folken's younger brother. When Folken and Van encountered each other, it was clear on their faces that there was great tension.

"Folken, what are you doing here?" asked Van as he reach for a sword.

"Calm down, there is no need to resort to violence. I'm merely here to arrest some criminals who have attacked my country," replied Folken.

"He's telling the truth," said Yoh, seconding Folken's testimony. "They ran this way so we chased them here. You guys looked like you were in trouble so we came down to help."

Meanwhile, Faust checked on the condition of the men he had subdued for questioning. "That's impossible. How can he be growing cold?"

Amy checked the men, whose bodies had grown cold like they had just died. "You didn't beat'em up too hard, did you?" asked Amy.

"No, I'm sure I didn't," replied Faust firmly. "I only told my skeletons to subdue the men. They would not have killed them unless I specifically ordered it. I'll have to do an autopsy to investigate."

After explaining the situation to Van, Folken came over and Faust reported what he had discovered. "Damn," cursed Folken. As he looked over the bodies, one of the faces was familiar to him. "Wait a minute. This man was helping Leguma, was he not?"

"Yeah," replied Faust. "He looked like a leader so I had my skeletons subdue him for questioning. I don't why he and his men suddenly died. I'm baffled like you are."

"No, what I mean is... This man is Markle Forger," declared Folken, recalling images of him from briefings in the past. "He's an Ironian intelligence agent. I'd recognize his face anywhere."

"Does this mean that Ironia is helping the thieves?" asked Amy.

"It certainly looks that way," admitted Folken. "Forger was probably escorting Leguma to this portal so she could escape. They were probably expecting to get away scot-free until they bumped into Van's hunting party and then us. Okay everyone, we need the bodies as evidence. Pack them and up and load them into the Blue Typhoon."

"Hold on, you won't be removing anything from here. We're in Fanelia and as king, this is under my jurisdiction!" decreed Van. "These men had intruded on my land. My men will take their remains into custody."

"This is a problem," muttered Sonic.

"We need the bodies as evidence of Ironia's complicity," informed Folken. "Van, can you at least humour your brother just this once?"

"Ugh, I don't want to keep dead bodies on the ship," said Amy.

"If we can't take the remains, we'd need another way to prove that we saw what we saw today," informed Folken.

"Hmm," muttered Amy. "I know! Tails, do you still have that camera you used at Sonic's last birthday party?"

"Oh, I get it! Good idea, Amy," said Tails, who returned to the Blue Typhoon and fetched a small Polaroid camera.

The Fanelian men gathered the bodies of the Ironian agents together. The two-tailed fox snapped pictures of their faces as evidence of their involvement in the incident. Tails proceeded to gather memory dumps of the data from the portal and the agents' PDAs, which he recorded into a PDA of his own. After collecting the only evidence that Van would allow them to acquire, the ki team returned to Zaibach. Once again, Zaibach specialists toiled meticulously, piecing together the data and drawing conclusions from it.

Their conclusions were unanimous; Ironia was responsible for the attack. This conclusion was made even more certain by last minute confirmation coming from one Koushiro Izumi, who had E-mailed information to the Zaibach information. Izzy had hacked the computers of an occupied Red World base belonging to a terrorist group known as "Omnipotence." This E-mail contained orders for the cell to carry out missions and attacks on various targets. There was such a cell in Ironia, which had planned to carry out an attack against Zaibach, resulting in the incident that occurred a month ago. This damning piece of evidence provided all the justification needed for Zaibach retaliation against Ironia.

* * *

On one peaceful evening, no one saw the hundreds of Guymelefs secretly crossing the Ironian border. The first of Zaibach's mechanical war machines became visible as though it had magically appeared out of nowhere. It was a gigantic mechanical black knight sporting a flowing cape. It and its brethren were known as the Alseides, the standard, mass produced model. Unlike Guymelef's from other nations in Gaea, Zaibach's were much more technologically advanced. The Alseides were equipped with stealth cloaks, which rendered the machine invisible to the naked eye. 

It was also equipped with Chlima, a mercury-like liquid that was dangerously flammable. It could be hardened into bolts and fired from an arm-mounted launcher. The Ironians learned this the hard way, when an Alseides fired such a claw into one of their watchtowers. The supports ruptured under the force of this massive metal spike, causing the whole tower to come crashing to the ground with the watchman still inside. The Ironians soon learned of Chlima's second function, its role as flamethrower fuel. A second Alseides uncloaked just metres from a hangar filled with unoccupied Guymelefs. Upon raising its arm, roaring flames spewed out of the nozzle and into the hangar. The terrified soldiers ran for dear life as the flames incinerated everything within their path.

Right behind the first attack wave was the Blue Typhoon, confidently hovering straight into Ironian airspace. With each metre it travelled, it shelled every enemy with blasts of energy and missiles. A metal door opened in its chassis, letting dozens of Alseides Guymelefs descended onto the ground. In retaliation, an Ironian Guymelef, much like the Zaibach Alseides, fired its own Chlima claws at the Blue Typhoon. However, the bolts merely bounced off of the ship's energy shields, revealing the defensive bubble momentarily. A cannon surely swivelled to the enemy, blasting it into pieces. The Blue Typhoon blasted it encountered as it advanced, leaving only a path of destruction in its wake. Like the destroyed Guymelef, the Ironians had no chance against such firepower.

Within a day, the Zaibach had overwhelmed Ironia and established control. During their attack, the Zaibach had captured an underground Ironian military base. This base was used as a laboratory for research and development of new technologies for the military. This facility was constructed with technology that was foreign to Gaea. It had electronic technology, not the steam-based technology normally found on Gaea. It was powered by a small power generator located in its heart that Tails had identified as being thermonuclear in nature. All these pieces of evidence pointed to an enemy that foreign in nature or backing.

The Zaibach soldiers found a series of pod-like devices filled with an unknown green liquid and human specimens. Folken and Tails looked over the strange devices, which seemed to be preserved the person inside. Folken looked over some gauges and metres, which displayed the vital signs of the people trapped within. The two scientists decided to free the people for questioning. After entering a series of commands into a panel, the liquid drained from the pods and a door popped open with a hiss. The people in the pods began to awaken from their artificially induced slumber.

After being clothed, the Zaibach began to question the people imprisoned in the pods. All of the people were individuals who came from foreign worlds. They had been captured by the enemy as specimens for experiments. In particular, one of the prisoners was a young blond boy. He was an outgoing person who was confidant in himself to the fullest extent. His cheeks had a set of three markings that almost seemed to be whiskers like that of a cat. This boy Naruto Uzumaki, was a ninja who was on a mission before being captured and brought into the lab.

"I'm from the Ninja Nations," replied Naruto. "I was on a mission before I found myself here. It was my big chance to show up Sasuke too, believe it!"

"...But you were attacked on the road."

"That's right. I don't know who they are. They came at us with guns, bombs, and magical powers. We tried to fight back but there were too many of them. They got Sakura, then me, and I don't know what happened to Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei after that. Next thing I know, I wake up naked in a pod."

"We do have a Sakura under our custody and a second ninja kid who we haven't identified yet," informed the interrogator. "We need to keep you here longer until we can sort this out. You're done for now."

As Naruto left the room, a pair of guards escorted a man down the hall to the darkened interrogation room for questioning. He had a head full of mussed violet-grey hair that dangled in front of his face. The man was clad in a green camouflage military uniform like the other soldiers. He had an eye patch covering a left eye that had been lost from an injury and a mask covering his mouth. However, Naruto took a single glance at the man's face and knew who he was. He was his sensei, Kakashi Hatake.

"Kakashi-sensei!" called Naruto. "Are you okay? I was worried about you but I'm glad to see you're alright."

"I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaken. You must have me confused with someone else," replied "Kakashi."

"Alright kid, that's enough. He says he doesn't know you, so buzz off," said one of the guards.

Naruto fumed as the guards took Kakashi into the room. The Zaibach rudely shoved "Kakashi" into the chair and grilled him extensively for over an hour. According to "Kakashi," he was merely a grunt who was not privy to any information of importance. Despite "Kakashi" continuing to stick to his story, the interrogator continued the browbeating, refusing to believe the prisoner's story. The guards even gave the recalcitrant soldier a clean shot to the gut to make him talk, but he still wouldn't divulge any new information. Near the end of the questioning, the interrogator slammed the table in frustration.

The next day, the guards brought him in for further questioning, but still couldn't get anything from him until Folken entered the room with a scroll in hand. He opened the scroll in front of "Kakashi," who read the scroll in front of him. "Read!" was Folken's only command.

The scroll was a set of decrees coming from the Hokage of Leaf Village himself. Leaf Village was a community of ninjas from the Ninja Nations. The Hokage was the greatest ninja of the village and functioned as its leader. Folken had contacted the Hokage between interrogations and had apparently arranged a meeting with the Hokage. In fact, he had purchased services from the Leaf Village during that meeting, in effect creating an alliance between his nation of Zaibach and the Leaf Village. Kakashi's orders were to cooperate with the Zaibach and reveal information on his mission to infiltrate the enemy who had captured his students. The orders were stamped with the Hokage's seal, a prominent Japanese character, which made the document official and authentic.

"Well, looks like you are my new bosses," remarked Kakashi.

"Glad to have you on the team, Kakashi," said Folken with a smile. "Tell us what you found out while you were here."

"These people call themselves 'Omnipotence.' They've been kidnapping people from other worlds to use as samples for some experiment. My students were among some of the people they kidnapped."

"What kind of experiment were they performing?"

"I do not the specifics, but they seem to be trying to create new and improved soldiers for their army. They had no success since all of their subjects died horribly within hours of birth. I don't know what it is, but they cited 'Paradox' as the problem. Recently, they made a raid on your country and found technology that would solve that problem."

"I see," remarked Folken. "How many soldiers were they able to create using our technology?"

"I only know of one so far," replied Kakashi. "The person who volunteered for the experiment was named Korn."

"Korn?" asked Folken, surprised by this revelation. "Now, this is certainly interesting."

Folken called the members of the ki team together and informed them that Kakashi will be joining them. Tails, who had been probing Omnipotence's computer logs for information, found an entry for the portal indicating that Korn had used the device just three hours before the invasion. With Kakashi's corroborating testimony, the ki team had returned the trail of the thieves who stole their artefacts. After using the portal, Korn had moved to a camp in the wilderness just outside of Toontown. The ki team and their Zaibach allies accelerated preparations to raid the camp and capture Korn.

Before they left, Kakashi met with students, three young ninja of the lowest rank of Genin. The first was Naruto, the outgoing boy who had nearly comprised his cover with his outburst. The second was Sasuke Uchiha, a prodigy from the respected and feared Uchiha clan of ninja. He was cool, calm, black-haired boy in shorts and a navy blue hooded athletic shirt adorned with the fan-like emblem of his clan. The last was the sole female member of the team, Sakura Haruno. The pink-haired girl was in a Chinese-style red dress and was ogling Sasuke relentlessly.

"Sensei!" cried Sakura and Naruto in unison.

"That's me," said Kakashi with a smile. "I'm sorry about having to lie to you. I couldn't risk blowing my cover just yet."

"So it really was you, Sensei! I knew it!" cried Naruto, feeling vindicated.

"Yep, but Naruto, don't blurt out the name of an undercover team mate like that again," reprimanded Kakashi. "You could have jeopardized my mission and cost me my life, as well as those of others like your team mates."

"Sorry Sensei," said Naruto.

"That's okay. Everything worked out better than I'd hope. We just received new orders from the Hokage," informed Kakashi, who showed the Hokage's scroll to his pupils.

"So we're joining these people?" asked Sasuke.

"That's right," replied Kakashi. "The Hokage is concerned about the kidnappings of ninja. Many ninja have disappeared without a trace, not just from Leaf Village. He is concerned that the enemy, Omnipotence, is kidnapping the ninja to acquire secrets and techniques. Our allies have hired our services as part of their alliance with Leaf Village."

"Yep, they wanted us because they know we're that good," boasted Naruto.

"For once, I'm not going to disagree with Naruto," said Sasuke. Sakura and Kakashi simply chuckled.

* * *

In the wilderness outside of the animated city of Toontown was a series of tents and heavily armoured vehicles. Armed guerrilla fighters in camouflage milled about the area, vigilantly watching for anyone who would threaten their camp. Mechanics worked intently on the chassis of a prone robot that was as tall as a tree should it be put upright. Their blowtorches blew sparks into the air like glowing jumping jacks. Nearby, the most monstrous, gruesome creatures from worlds best left unspoken growled and clawed within their cages. They threatened to unleash a bloodbath within the camp should they ever break free. 

Hidden in the nearby brush, several sets of eyes watched the men patrol about. Their owners scanned the area, making mental notes about the numbers and strength of the forces. Satisfied with what they have learned, these watchers fled to inform their masters. The spies, Kakashi and his ninja squad, sped through the forest as fast as their feet could carry to deliver this information. They raced up the side of a mountain and leapt onto the deck of the Blue Typhoon, where Folken awaited their arrival. The ninja reported everything they had seen at the Omnipotence camp.

Along the camp's perimeter were a dozen guards on the lookout for infiltrators. These guards circled the camp in an overlapping fashion such that whenever one left an area, another would be entering from the same direction. This pattern made it difficult for anyone to sneak by without entering a guard's field of vision. Nevertheless, the ninja were skilled enough to successfully breach the perimeter and spy on the camp. This camp had about a hundred soldiers in total, all of whom were heavily armed and well trained. Some of the men were mechanics and were assembling what appeared to be gigantic robots for an operation in the near future. Others were animal keepers who were feeding several vicious creatures locked in cages.

Folken found the reports interesting. "Hmm, what could they be up to?"

"It seems like they're planning to attack someone or something from the looks of it," suggested Naruto.

"Indeed, but what's their target?" asked Folken. "In any event, we must strike now, while they're still vulnerable. We can determine their target later."

Within an hour, dozens of Zaibach Guymelefs flooded out of the hangar of the Blue Typhoon. The war machines were like flying torsos as they descended onto the ground below. Behind them were two very special Guymelefs known as the Teirings, piloted by Folken's cat-women bodyguards. Unlike the knightly Alseides, the Teirings were like gigantic, alabaster versions of their pilots. One had long silver hair and the other gold, which identified just which one of the twins was the pilot. Unlike the Alseides, the Teirings had superior armour and lacked the arm-mounted flamethrowers. These models were more oriented towards close-quarters combat compared to the Alseides.

The Guymelef's cloaked upon landing and advanced through the forest undetected. Within moments, they had the camp surrounded and made themselves known through the firing of a Chlima bolt. The mercurial bolt pierced its way through the cockpit of an inactive robot, rendering it useless in a single blow. The golden Teiring fired a Chlima claw into a tent, collapsing it and causing the men to flee in a panic. A torrent of flames gushed out of an Alseides' arm, heating several humvees until their fuel tanks melted. These vehicles violently exploded into flaming wreckage.

In the chaos of the battle, a single man went ignored by the raiders. This man was a man with long, spiky black hair that reached his shoulder. He was clothed in brown Saiyan combat armour, the same kind worn by the Saiyan actors during the filming of Dragonball Z episodes. In a great burst of speed, the man zipped out of the camp and into the air above it. He channelled great amounts of ki before sending it downwards like lightning from the heavens. The Zaibach forces had little time to escape before the beam struck the ground and triggered a massive explosion which wiped out the camp and everything near it.

Back at the bridge of the Blue Typhoon, both the Blue Typhoon crew and Trunks detected this great emission of ki. "Lord Folken, we request assistance! The camp is totally destroyed and several of our men are wounded. Send back up immediately!" demanded Nariya on the air waves.

Amy glanced at Trunks, who seemed somewhat disturbed at the moment. "Trunks, is something the matter?"

"Someone very powerful had fired a blast of energy into the camp. I believe that was Korn," replied Trunks.

"We can't go off to chase him," said Faust. "If Korn did indeed fire at the camp, many of the Zaibach soldiers would need medical attention."

"Then don't go, I'll go by myself," offered Trunks. "I'll stall Korn until you are ready to come. Until then, take care of the wounded."

Before Trunks left the bridge, Cream called out to him. "Trunks... Please be careful."

"Yeah, don't overdo it okay buddy?" asked Sonic rhetorically .

"Don't worry, just make sure our men are taken care of," replied Trunks. The half-Saiyan left the bridge and exited the ship's airlock. In a burst of speed, Trunks soared towards the powerful ki signature that took flight away from the camp. Within minutes, he spotted a second person soaring through the air at immense speeds. The man sensed Trunks' approach and turned around to confront him.

"Stop!" cried Trunks, as he came to a stop before the man path. After taking a good look at his face, Trunks knew it was indeed the person he was looking for, Korn. "Where did you take the Dragonballs?"

"They're long gone by now. After I gave them to a contact, she took them somewhere else. I have no idea," replied Korn.

"You may not know, but you were still involved in their theft," observed Trunks. "I know several people who want you just as badly as my friends. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice."

"If that's the way you want it..."

Korn suddenly charged at the half-Saiyan, who was nearly caught off guard. Trunks blocked the attack and suddenly vanished into thin air, only to reappear above. He nailed Korn in the skull with an overhead hammer fist to the skull, sending the Saiyan thief into the ground like a cannonball. Trunks sped off after him and reached Korn just as he was recovering from the landing. Trunks threw a pair of punches, both of which Korn blocked. Korn threw a kick which Trunks dodged by going higher into the air. Trunks shot in with a flying kick aimed at the head only to have Korn catch his foot and toss him away. Trunks recovered mid-air, landing safely on his feet.

"Seems we're evenly matched," remarked Trunks.

"So we are, but that is only the tip of the iceberg," said Korn

"Trunks, we've got your back!" cried Yoh as he came in with reinforcements.

"Yeah, save some for us. I'd like a piece of him too, you know," said Sonic.

"Looks like you're outnumbered, Korn," said Trunks. "This would be a good time to give up."

"Bah, who needs friends," decried Korn. "My bosses gave me something much better than that; power. Oh yes, the power! Power that only a Saiyan can dream about."

Korn rooted himself firmly in the ground and channelled ki throughout his body. His muscles tensed as they grew to massive proportions. Veins seemed pop out from under his skin. The purest rage fell over his face and seemed to twist and contort it almost beyond recognition. His eyes took on a new form, becoming as crimson as blood itself. A set of two commas appeared on his irises and began to rotate like a camera focusing on a scene. Kakashi and Sasuke analyzed Korn's new technique with grave concern, as it was one that was all too familiar to them.

"So you have the Sharingan," remarked Kakashi.

"Sasuke, isn't that one of your techniques?" asked Naruto.

"It is," replied the ninja. "...But there's no way he could be from the Uchiha clan, so how can he have the Sharingan?"

"I know, they cloned your eyes and surgically implanted them into him," said Trunks.

"That's right, I have the strength and speed of a Saiyan warrior and the techniques of you ninja chumps," mocked Korn. "How about a little demonstration?"

Suddenly, Korn dashed at Trunks, punching him hard in the gut. As Trunks stumbled backwards, he struck Trunks in the gut once again with a hard kick. The half-Saiyan went crashing through five trees in a row before crashing into the ground and digging a groove into the dirt. In the meantime, Sasuke and Kakashi had activated their own Sharingan. Korn came at them like a speeding freight train, punching Naruto hard in the gut and delivering a roundhouse kick to Sakura in the head. The two hit the ground in a daze, totally flattened by the onslaught of their nemesis.

Korn zipped over to Sasuke who spotted the Saiyan coming with Sharingan. However, while the Sharingan allowed a person to see past speed blurring, it didn't enable them to match the speed. Being significantly slower, it was impossible for Sasuke to react in time to stop or dodge Korn's fist as it slammed into his chin. Sasuke went flying backwards, crashing through a tree before crashing into the ground. Korn dashed to Kakashi, who couldn't do anything but watch as Korn sent a kick to his head. As the force sent the Jounin hurtling backwards, he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a log in his place.

That trick had surprised Korn, causing him to have a momentary lapse of attention. A wave of Furyoku-enhanced flame made its way along the ground and hit the Saiyan thief. The flames raged around the thief and snapped him out of his momentarily daze of surprise and shock. While Korn was preoccupied, Faust pressed the advantage, throwing basketball-sized spheres of clumped bones. Upon striking Korn, they splintered apart only to reform as animated skeletons. These undead pile onto Korn, keeping him pinned in place while Morty's flames continued to burn him.

However, this was also the moment Kakashi was waiting for. After having used his replacement jutsu, Kakashi had snuck behind Korn and prepared a powerful, killing jutsu. Holding onto his downward pointing right arm, the Jounin channelled all of the Chakra he could muster into his hand. Bolts of lightning arced around with a rapid buzzing as the Chakra gathered into a single point. When the power reached its peak, Kakashi charged into Korn at top speed. The Jounin plunged his Lighting Blade into the small of the Saiyan's back, scoring a clean hit.

"Urrrgggh," groaned Korn as Kakashi dug his hand into the back.

"Yeah! Nice hit Kakashi!" commented Morty

The wear and tear caused Korn to crumple onto one knee. Within a moment, Korn willed himself upright with a vengeful glare. "You think those tricks will stop me?" decried Korn.

In a burst of power, Korn kicked Kakashi with such tremendous force as to send him flying backwards for over two dozen metres. The Saiyan released a burst of ki, throwing all of the skeletons into the sky and snuffing out Morty's flames instantly. The Saiyan went on the offensive, blasting Faust in the chest, who raised a shield of bone at the last moment to blunt the attack. Nevertheless, the sheer force of the ki beam so great that it toppled the doctor. Yoh threw a slash at Korn, who back-pedalled to avoid the blow. Korn suddenly lunged forward in a powerful roundhouse kick to Yoh's chin.

Nearby, Trunks channelled his rage into pure ki, increasing his personal power tenfold as he ascended to Super Saiyan form. His eyes turned a brilliant green while his hair turned a bright golden hue. Sonic spun rapidly until he became like a living cannonball and bounced into the half-Saiyan's hands. As Sonic rotated, Trunks charged him with as much ki as he could muster. Once the energy had reached critical mass, Trunks punted the ball in Korn's direction. Sonic the cannonball ripped through the air like a blue comet burning with golden flame. At the last moment, Korn spotted the ball coming, but not soon enough to react to it. As the ball smashed into his chest, it took him off of his feet and propelled him into a mountain with enough force to punch an indentation into it.

The ki team converged on the mountain side just as Korn was exiting the indentation. The immense force of Sonic the cannonball had ruptured Korn's armour in the chest. "Damn you!" cursed the Saiyan thief. "Damn you all! No more 'Mr. Nice Guy!'"

Korn made a series of gestures as prepared a jutsu. "Watch out!" cried Sasuke, who recognized the technique for what it was.

As the last gesture, Korn placed his fingers over his mouth as though urging someone to be quiet. With a deep breath, he exhaled a roaring ball of flame which the others had dodged thanks to Sasuke's early warning. After the fireball hit the ground, it burned a crater deep enough to submerge a grown man up to his waist. The Korn had performed was one that Sasuke frequently used; a fireball throwing jutsu taught by his clan. However, Korn performed the technique with far greater power than Sasuke could ever hope to achieve.

The Saiyan thief fired a barrage of ki blasts as his foes were preparing their counter attacks. His first volleys took out Sonic, Trunks, and Morty. Naruto and Sakura threw a hail of kunai at him only to have the Saiyan dodge or catch the projectiles. Hundreds of hidden Naruto clones pounced on Korn, only to be tossed away like mere dolls. Sasuke blew a fireball at Korn, who merely blunted the attack with a mere exertion of ki. The Saiyan fired ki blasts at each of the Genin, flattening each of them in a single hit. He detected Kakashi sneaking up and blasted him out of his attack with another ki blast.

Yoh threw a Celestial Slash whose shockwave successfully penetrated Korn's defence thanks to the distractions by the ninja. Faust followed up by tossing a scythe made of pure bone into the exposed chest. Korn stumbled backwards as the attacks pushed him backwards, but he eventually recovered. He charged into Yoh at blinding speed and grabbed his sword arm as he came in with a slash. Korn tossed the Shaman King into Trunks, Sonic, and Faust, taking all of them out of the fight in a single move. After such brutal beatings, it was becoming more and more difficult for the ki team to continue.

"You guys aren't even worth the effort. You can't put up a good fight for my level of power," mocked Korn.

"Yes, so it would seem that way," remarked Kakashi, now slumping over one knee from the wounds he had suffered. "I'll admit that you are truly a powerful adversary. You are stronger than even Trunks, yet you can use the techniques of my people while he can't. Yet, with all of this power, I have to wonder what price you paid for it."

A trace of crimson fell over Korn's eyes, painting the world before him a bright red. He brushed his hand over his eyes to rub away the crimson obstruction. When he rubbed his fingers together, the liquid obstruction stained his fingers a bright, but familiar red. Korn immediately realized that it was blood on his hands, but not the blood from his enemies. It was his own blood and it dripped from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks like tears of crimson. It was a gruesome sight that made fear well up within the Saiyan thief. He was absolutely certain that his foes had never scored a hit to his face during their confrontation. Yet, here he was, bleeding from his eyes for reasons he did not comprehend.

"His eyes are bleeding!" remarked Morty, a sense of dread filling him.

"...But that's impossible!" remarked Faust. "None of us ever hit him in the face!"

"I see now, so Paradox has finally caught up to you, Korn," replied Trunks succinctly.

"Ah, so that's what you call it," remarked Kakashi in realization.

"What's 'paradox?'" asked Sonic.

"Yeah, what is it? How come I've never heard of it?" asked Sakura.

"Paradox, it's short for the Law of Exponential Paradox," informed Trunks. "It's a law that deals with the usage of special powers. Each world has different rules on how their special powers work. If a person tries to use powers not native to their world, they get into trouble."

"Trouble? What do you mean?" asked Naruto, beginning to feel apprehensive about this revelation.

"Think of it this way. When you use your jutsus, you follow a certain set of rules to do it, right?" asked Trunks. "Well, using two different sets of powers forces you to follow two sets of rules. Now, what would happen when those two sets have rules that contradict each other?"

"Contradict?" asked Naruto, not knowing what the word meant.

"What Trunks is saying is that if you try to follow certain rules, you end up breaking other ones," said Sakura.

"Exactly," said Trunks.

"So, what happens then?" asked Naruto.

"Bad things," replied Trunks. "Very bad things..."

"What kind of things?" asked Naruto.

"Anything bad that you can imagine could happen. You could explode violently; you could lose control of your powers; you could turn into a girl, or a frog, or anything else for that matter. That's just the tip of the iceberg," replied Trunks. Naruto gulped in timidity.

"Oh don't worry, you haven't been doing those things so you have nothing to fear," assured Sakura. "Nothing will happen to you."

Kakashi chuckled. "Korn on the other hand, isn't so lucky..."

Korn was not amused by Kakashi's mockery. In fact, it only enraged him further. "Grrr... I'm not going to die like this. I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"

The Saiyan thug rapidly performed a series of hand gestures. He immediately began to multiply until about twenty copies of himself surrounded the ki team. "Watch out! He's using the Shadow Clone Jutsu!" cried Naruto.

"Are you crazy?" asked Trunks. "You should quit while you're ahead. If you use more jutsus you're only to going to make the situation worse!"

"Shut up, fool! I'm through playing with you guys," screamed Korn.

At once, the Korn crew pounced on the ki team, beginning a chaotic melee in which both sides exchanged blows. Super Saiyan Trunks blocked a punch, grabbing the clone's arm and throwing him into a second. A third threw a punch which Trunks dodged at the last moment. A fourth attempted a kick, but Trunks caught his leg and swept the other from under him. With a sharp kick, Trunks sent the clone sliding along the ground, toppling the third as he approached and flattening the first and second before they had gotten fully upright.

Sonic sidestepped a punch from his first attacker, leaping into the air to kick the clone in the face. Morty dodged a kick and bopped the attacker's other leg with his Mosuke-empowered hammer. Kakashi stabbed an attacker with a kunai before throwing the same blade into the head of a second attacker. Yoh blocked a clone's kick and countered with a slash diagonally through the attacker's torso. A second clone scored a cheap shot from behind, sending Yoh face first into the ground. The clones continued to pile onto the heroes. There seemed to be an endless stream of them assaulting the ki team, but fortunately, each individual clone was not nearly as powerful as the original Korn.

Nevertheless, for what they lacked in raw power, the clones made up with sheer numbers. That numerical advantage soon asserted itself when Faust came crashing into the ground next to Yoh, with Sasuke, Trunks, and Sonic not far behind him. "These guys just keep coming!" cried Faust.

Kakashi hit the ground just moments after being pummelled by a clone. He got off the ground and backed himself into the ki team. With their backs to each other, the ki team watched apprehensively as the Korn clones continued to multiply. "Where is the real one?" asked Kakashi mentally, scanning for Korn's true body.

"I don't see anyone making any hand movements. It looks like they're multiplying all by themselves!" cried Yoh.

"Is this normal?" asked Morty.

"No," replied Kakashi succinctly.

"What will happen to him if he keeps multiplying like this?" asked Morty.

"He'll be dead," replied the Jounin. "That jutsu is called the Shadow Clone jutsu. It makes copies of the user, but divides his Chakra equally among each of the clones. If he makes too many, he'll exhaust his Chakra reserves and die."

"I don't think he has much of a choice. He can't seem to stop himself!" said Faust.

The Korn clones continued to multiply over and over. Each clone split itself into two only to have each copy divide into two once again. Two clones became four, which then became eight, and then sixteen; on and onward to infinity. The ki team watched the endless multiplication anxiously as Korn duplicated again and again. The only thing they could see around them was a sea of Korn clones. Yet, still they continued to multiply with no end in sight. It was blatantly obvious that the Shadow Clone Jutsu was spiralling out of control and Korn could not do a thing to stop it.

"NOOOOOO!" screamed Korn, now in his death throes as the clone count reached over a million and continued to climb. Each replication exhausted more and more of his energy until that critical moment arrived. One by one, the clones vanished in abrupt puffs of smoke. With his Chakra reserves finally exhausted, Korn vanished into nothingness.

"Yeah, we won!" cheered Yoh.

With Korn having multiplied himself to death from Paradox, the ki team relished their victory. However, that joy was very short lived. In the distance, explosions lit up the horizon where Toontown laid. Hundreds of shadows belonging to unknown beings descended on the city from the sky. Billowing plumes of smoke rose into the air, blotting out the light of the sun. "Look! Something's going down at Toontown!" cried Morty.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:   
#3 Tenki, The Star of Wisdom: Folken Fanel (Escaflowne)  
#20 Tensoku, The Speedy Star: Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#59 Chikyu, The Intelligent Star: Sakura Haruno (Naruto)  
#62 Chikou, The Wild Star: Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)  
#63 Chikyou, The Star of Ambition: Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)  
#90 Chitan, The Short Star: Nariya (Escaflowne)  
#91 Chikaku, The Corner Star: Eriya (Escaflowne)

Spotlight: Naruto

This anime follows the life of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who dreams of becoming the Hokage, the top ninja in his village. During Naruto's birth, his home, Leaf Village, came under attack by a demonic being known as the Nine-Tailed Fox. They succeeded in sealing the monster inside Naruto's body after suffering many losses. The stigma of the fox and the deaths caused Naruto to become shunned by his village. He became a worthless prankster but got a chance to prove himself one day, when he used the Shadow Clone Jutsu for the first time to save his sensei's life.

Origins:   
All ninja of the Naruto anime undergo rigorous training to learn and hone their skills and techniques. However, some ninja, like Sasuke Uchiha, also receive certain techniques, or jutsus, from their lineage. After graduating the academy, new ninjas receive the Genin rank, the lowest rank, and are assigned under a Jounin ranked instructor. Naruto's team consists of himself, Sasuke, and Sakura with Kakashi as their Jounin instructor.

Powers:  
Naruto does have some modern level technology, but it takes a backseat to the Chakra powers. Chakra is a ki-type energy that flows through channels in the human body. Most jutsu are done by performing hand gestures, or seals, to mould Chakra into a usable form. In general, jutsus are divided into three main branches. The first is Genjutsu, which manipulates an opponent's Chakra to make them experience illusions. The second is Taijutsu, which largely consists of hand-to-hand combat skills. The last is Ninjutsu, or techniques that use things outside the body such as elemental manipulation. Each ninja has a unique fighting style that uses these types of jutsus in varying degrees.


	11. Rise of the 108 Story, part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3**

**Rise of the 108 Story, part 1: The Shrine of the Stars **

To their horror, Sakura Avalon and her friends watched as her vision came true before their very eyes. The once wacky, whimsical city of Toontown burned in the aftermath of Omnipotence terrorism. The robots, faceless war machines of white metal with red highlights, destroyed everything and anything that crossed their path. One of them let lose a beam of deadly coherent light which burned its way through a skyscraper like it was a construct of butter. Another smashed its fist into an apartment building, grabbing a Toon dog and throwing him into the ground before disintegrating him with a blast of beam gun fire.

Horrific creatures from worlds best left unknown roamed freely through those areas. One such monster, a massive oni, reached into an apartment building being evacuated by Toons. He smashed his way through a glass window and plucked a Toon rabbit from within, licking his lips and salivating at his new meal. The monster popped the terrified rabbit into his toothy maw without a second thought. As he began to chew, the rabbit screamed in terror as the teeth crushed and mangled him to pieces before the oni swallowed him with a great big gulp. The inhuman beast let out a loud and rude burp before continuing on his rampage of destruction.

Roger noticed that one of the robots was advancing towards his neighbourhood. "Oh no! Jessica! We have to save Jessica!" He stuck his thumb out which attracted the attention of a Toon taxicab. The big-eyed cab stopped with a skidding screech. "Benny! Thank God you're here!" greeted the rabbit.

"You'd better be thankful, I nearly got chewed to pieces just trying to get here!" replied Benny the surly cab.

"Listen, I need to get home to save my wife and kids," begged Roger. "Please hurry!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Benny. "Hop in and fasten your seatbelts."

The magic team got into Benny, who drove them back to the mansion. "Honey, it's me. Grab the kids and whatever you can find and wait in the car. I'll meet you there," commanded Roger over his cell phone. Within minutes, the magic team had gathered at the mansion.

"Jessica! Omnipotence is attacking Toontown. We have to get you to safety!" cried Koichi from Benny.

"We're going to Blue Water Lake. Honey, lead the way," cried Roger.

The group started their engines and sped off eastward to Blue Water Lake. Blue Water Lake was a vacation destination for many people from Toontown. It was a colony of cottages where people both rich and not could go to enjoy the great outdoors. In essence, it was a tourist resort and vacationing area. The vehicles sped down the road as the chaos continued all around them in Toontown. The magic team could see that the military entered the scene to repel Omnipotence's attack on the city. Their helicopters and jets soared across the sky in preparation for their attack.

As the group travelled eastward, they came across an overhead highway. There was a pair of cars at the top whose occupants had fled and were being attacked by several bird-like creatures. Koichi and Yolei recognized them as the same ones that had stolen the Destiny Stone. They could recognize those gruesome toothy maws and those vaguely humanoid torsos anywhere. In the midst of the birds' screeching, they could hear a gunshot going off ever so often. Roger watched as one of the vehicles' occupants retreated into view before turning around and firing at the birds.

"Hey that's Ross!" cried Roger.

"You mean the detective who saved you?" asked Yolei. "Then we'd better help him! Stop here Benny!"

Roger's kids noticed that Benny had stopped. "Mom, stop! Dad is getting out of Benny," they warned.

Jessica promptly jammed on the brakes. "Roger, what are you doing?"

"We need to save Ross. He's in trouble!" replied Yolei. She turned to her team mates. "Let's go team!"

The magic team flew up to the highway with their various powers and prepared for battle. In a cloud of darkness, Koichi vanished, leaving Duskmon in his place. The Warrior of Darkness charged at the birds. In a single pass, he had sliced through several of the demonic birds that accosted Ross and his sci/psi team. Hawkmon transformed into Shurimon and hurled shuriken at the birds which were attacking the two trench-coat wearing, female members of his group. Shaoran summoned the Freeze card, which manifested as a dolphin of icy crystals which leapt into the fray, freezing all enemies in blocks of ice. After this massive attack, the birds fled to save themselves.

"Ross, are you okay?" asked Roger, approaching his friend once the area was secure.

"I'm fine," replied the detective as he dusted himself off.

"Listen, I have a cottage at Blue Water Lake. We can hide out there until this whole thing blows over," offered Roger. "Do your cars still work?"

The elder of the trench-coated women, Miho, checked her vehicle and confirmed its proper functioning. Koichi transformed into Velgamon and carried Ross' team and their cars to the road below. The now merged group continued on their way eastward. The trip was going smoothly until trouble reared its head. One of the robots landed in the street behind them. It spotted the magic team's cars and immediately gave pursuit. The robot fired at the team but their drivers dodged every one of its beams and missiles. The attacks kept coming until one punched a massive crater into the road ahead.

The vehicles came to a stop. "Oh no!" cried Jessica.

"We can't go any further. We have to fight that thing!" warned Koichi.

"Be careful, that thing is an M1 Astray! It's immensely powerful!" warned Athrun.

In a nimbus of wispy darkness, Koichi had merged the power of the Spirits of Darkness together. The release of such great negative energy transformed him into a being that was Duskmon and Velgamon merged into one. This being had an armoured, humanoid body like Duskmon with eyes at every joint in his body. He had claws like that of the vulture-like Velgamon for hands and feet. A great pair of Velgamon's feathery wings framed the new creature as its three inhuman eyes locked onto the robot from its vulture-like head. Koichi had become Pazuzumon of Darkness and was ready for battle.

Yolei drew upon her power, allowing Hawkmon to ascend to heights of power greater than that of Aquilamon. Unlike his other forms, this new form was far more humanoid, but had the traits of Aquilamon and a white cat spliced together. His legs were like that of Aquilamon, a pair of bird talons and feathery legs. From the waist up, this creature had a cat's white fur and purple-tipped ears. His face was like that of a human, but his eyes were covered with a visor. Now as Silphymon, he took to the air to confront the M1 Astray.

The Astray mobile suit fired a beam of energy at the group. "I've got it," announced Amelia.

With a quick chant, she raised a barrier of magic which stopped the energy beam cold. Under the cover of Amelia's protective magic, the teams began their counter attack. Robin bathed the Astray in pyrokinetic flames which engulfed its torso completely. Though a powerful attack, it wasn't nearly enough to stop something as powerful as a mobile suit. Miho, Naomi, Ross, and Athrun fired handguns at the monstrous machine, but their shots merely deflected off of its armour. A beam of negative energy struck the mobile suit's chest, drawing its ire to Pazuzumon.

No matter how hard the Astray tried, it was unable to hit such a small, manoeuvrable target with its beam rifle. The dark warrior turned around and opened his wings wide. It caused his each and every one of his eyes to glow in crimson light. All of a sudden, explosions of unholy energy wracked the robot's body, forcing it to stagger backwards. Following up on the team's advantage, Silphymon made an attack run, launching an after image of himself created from pink, magical energy. After slamming into the robot, a great explosion ensued, tearing off the machine's left arm and knocking it onto its back.

However, it got right back up just seconds afterwards. "Watch out! It's still moving!" cried Yolei.

At that moment, beam of golden energy raced at the M1 Astray from above and behind. It made a direct hit onto the robot's chest, which had already been damaged from the team's flurry of attacks. The Astray's armour ruptured under the strain of the beam, causing it to fall backwards and explode. A shuttle craft landed behind the team. Trunks Briefs, the one who had fired the beam, descended near the magic and sci/psi teams. "Quick, get into the shuttle, we're here to rescue you!" he cried.

"You're here?" asked Yolei.

"Yeah, but no time to explain now. Get into the shuttle quick," he commanded.

Without saying a word, the teams took Trunks up on his offer. The shuttle lifted into the sky with a brief hiss and sped away. Beams zinged by it with the other mobile suits taking notice and opening fire. Due to this provocation, the shuttle's gunner returned fire. The shuttle shook as anti-air missiles zoomed after it and burst mid-air outside. Jessica tried her best to calm her children, who were terrified to be exposed to such a dangerous situation. Within moments, the shuttle had escaped the robot's effective range and was safely returning to its mother ship, the Blue Typhoon.

* * *

The teams disembarked the shuttle and were met with the sight of the interior of a technologically advanced hangar in what seemed to be a space capable battleship. It was technology unknown to the magic and sci/psi teams as its origin was foreign. The hangar was cavernous and lined with ships, shuttle craft, as well as what appeared to be steam-powered robots. They resembled gigantic knights armed with swords as well as arm-mounted cannons and flamethrowers. Mechanics milled about the area, tending to the machines which had been damaged in a battle with unknown forces. 

There were guards posted at key positions around the ship, men who were dressed in black uniforms with golden, almost eye-like designs. One by one, Amy helped several passengers disembark from a nearby shuttle. These Toons, no longer the happy go-lucky entertainers, looked quite miserable, having been forced out of their homes by the attack. Most escaped with only the clothes on their backs, having no time to pack their belongings like the Rabbit family did. The people were dirty and filthy from the dirt and soot scattered around by their escape. A few also had suffered some minor scrapes and bruises.

"Trunks, what's going on? Why are you here?" asked Yolei as he led them into the ship.

"To make a long story short, some thieves stole the Dragonballs back at Zeta Earth. My friends and I followed them all the way here where they sent monsters and robots to attack Toontown. We decided to help the Toons out and found you guys there."

"They wouldn't happen to be called 'Omnipotence' wouldn't they?" asked Yolei.

"Yeah! How did you know they were called 'Omnipotence?'" asked Trunks surprised by Yolei's foresight.

"We were following them too," replied Koichi. "They stole one of Azulongmon's Destiny Stones."

"Now this is interesting," commented Naomi. "We were looking for Omnipotence too."

Trunks batted an incredulous gaze at Naomi. "You too?"

"That's right, I'm Naomi Armitage of the Martian Police Department," replied Naomi, shaking Trunks' hand. "This man is my partner and husband, Ross Syllabus." Ross gave a knowing nod as an introduction. "We were on the trail of Omnipotence arms runners before they made their attack on Toontown."

At this moment, Tails entered the room on a catwalk above the hangar's bottom floor. His team mates gathered the refuges around to hear his announcement. "Hello everybody, I'm Miles Prower, the captain of this ship, the Blue Typhoon," announced Tails through a microphone. "We have prepared rooms on decks five to eight. We will do a head count and then assign rooms to you. If you have any questions please give them to the people with nametags."

Trunks took a moment to talk with Tails, who nodded. "Okay, we would like you to meet at the strategy room in an hour. Until then, I will show you to your quarters where you can relax."

Trunks led the members of the teams to their rooms. An hour later, the teams made their way to the meeting a room, a sophisticated room filled with instruments displaying maps and charts. Seated clockwise around the rectangular table were the members of the three teams with Tails at the head of the table. Next to him were Sonic, Trunks, Koichi, and Yolei, followed by Naomi, Ross, and Folken. The other members, without available seats for them, stood around the table anxiously waiting for the meeting to begin. At that moment, Lan burst into the room. "Sorry I'm late!" remarked Lan. "I kinda got lost on the way here."

Tails sighed. "Settle down, everyone, please settle down. I know we're all tired and confused right now, but I call this meeting so that we can sort through this mess and find out what's going on. To start, why don't we all introduce ourselves and tell everyone our story?"

Each of the team leaders, Trunks, Koichi, and Ross, introduced their members and how they ran afoul of Omnipotence in turn. The ki team's story began with the theft of Dragonballs from Namek by Omnipotence agents. It was a daring raid on a Namekian shrine, which resulted in many deaths and much damage. Having other obligations, the Z fighters set Trunks on the trail of the thieves. His pursuit led him to Shamania, where his team mates Yoh, Morty, and Faust hailed from. The thieves proceeded to steal the Asakura prayer beads as well as injuring several of their friends during the exchange.

The trail went cold until they acquired the data mined from the head of an android assassin Trunks had felled. It led them to Moebius, the home of Sonic the Hedgehog and the crew of the Blue Typhoon. The thieves were already causing trouble there as well, having attacked a shrine containing powerful and dangerous artefacts known as the Chaos Emeralds. The raid resulted in the injury of Sonic's friend, Knuckles who fought as hard he could to stop the thieves. For this reason, Sonic and crew joined up with Trunks and the Shaman to capture the thieves.

The last leg of their adventure took them to Zaibach, already a victim of Omnipotence. They had bombed the capital and stolen highly classified documents during the confusion. The documents were plans for a device known as a Fate Alteration Device, which was a dangerous machine capable of altering probability. The trail of the bombers linked to espionage and state-sponsored terrorism from Zaibach's neighbour, Ironia. Following a lead from a foreigner named Izzy Izumi, Zaibach invaded Ironia as retaliation. This lead led in turn to Omnipotence cells in Toontown, where the ki team battled Omnipotence agent Korn in mortal combat and won. It was at that moment Toontown was attacked and the ki team went to help.

"So you got Izzy's message after all," said Yolei.

"You know Izzy?" asked Folken.

"Yes, he's a friend of ours. He's very into computers," replied Yolei.

"How did Izzy find out about Omnipotence?" asked Folken.

"Folken, I'm Koichi Kimura, the leader of Yolei's team. Let me tell you our story and then it will become clear to you."

Koichi narrated the story about how his magic team came to pursuing Omnipotence. In the beginning, Koichi was helping to film the English version of the second season of Digimon. During a break, Koichi had met with Yolei to eat when Omnipotence made their move. They attacked the scene with unknown monsters who stole the Destiny Stone, despite their attempts to prevent its theft. They had tracked the thieves to a portal in some mountains which led to Reedington in Tarota where the trail went cold. In Tarota, they chanced upon Sakura and Kero, who came under attack by demonic bees suspected to have been sent by Omnipotence to steal the Clow Cards. The magic team stayed for the night and visited Sakura's teacher, Clow Reed, the next day.

Clow Reed warned them of a growing evil that would threaten all worlds. He also lectured them about the 108 Stars of Destiny. According to Clow Reed, the Stars of Destiny were 108 very special individuals who would be the greatest opponents against this rising evil. They were essentially the greatest heroes in the struggle against this evil. Reed directed them to a dragon priest temple in the Red World which was under siege by the enemy and sent their team mate Shaoran to help them. There, the magic team allied with the temple's defenders, capturing an Omnipotence base in the counter attack. They also gained the assistance of Amelia, one of the temple's defenders. She was a princess of the Red World kingdom Saillune and a powerful practitioner of the healing and defensive arts of white magic.

In the base, they called Izzy Izumi to help decrypt files about Omnipotence's operations and learned of the existence of other bases in other worlds, one of which was in Ironia and raided by Zaibach. The magic team attempted to scout out a different one of these bases in the Great Blue, but botched the mission horribly and were forced to retreat. At about this time, the Clow magicians saw visions of Toontown's destruction in their dreams. This destruction turned out to be caused by a terrorist attack by Omnipotence. Though they tried to prevent it, they ultimately failed and all they could do was save the Rabbit family from becoming victims of the attack. During their escape, they rescued the sci/psi team and joined them. In the end, everyone ended up being rescued by Trunks.

"I see now," observed Folken. "On behalf of the Zaibach nation, I would like to thank all of you. You've done us a great service."

"Um, yeah, thank you," replied Koichi.

"If you can arrange it. I would like to visit this base and see these files for myself," requested Folken.

"Of course," said Yolei. "Maybe you can make more sense of it than we can."

"Ross, you said you and Naomi were chasing arms runners who were smuggling that robot I destroyed earlier," began Trunks.

"That's right, they're called mobile suits," replied Ross.

"I know those things. They're from the Cosmic Era, where I'm from," interjected Athrun. "They're called M1 Astrays. They're the standard issue mobile suits of the Orb Union. Ross, I know we had a deal, but I think it would be best if they knew who I was." Ross nodded in understanding. "I am Athrun Zala, a special forces member of the Orb Union. These things were stolen from my country by Blue Cosmos and sold to the enemy. Ross, why don't you tell everyone our story."

"Sure Athrun," agreed Ross.

Ross narrated his story about how he came to encounter Omnipotence. He and Naomi were officers of the MPD assigned to bust an arms smuggling ring operating in their city, Saint Lowell. The Blue Cosmos terrorist group was selling the stolen mobile suits to a group which would later be identified as Omnipotence, through this ring. Athrun had infiltrated the Blue Cosmos side under the pseudonym of "Andy Zimmerman." Though the MPD had caught most of those involved, they didn't catch Athrun. Before they could get any answers from the Omnipotence men, a poisoning device implanted in their hearts triggered and killed them.

However, the Omnipotence side didn't just commit crimes in Saint Lowell. A pair of Witch Hunters, Robin Sena and Miho Karasuma, showed up at the MPD for assistance in catching one Jeremy Dean, a man responsible for a string of murders back home. He was the man in charge of the Omnipotence end of the weapons sales. He was also a Witch, a person with dangerous supernatural powers, thus requiring specialized individuals to apprehend. The chase brought the officers to Dentech City, Digitopia, where Omnipotence had attacked a lab to steal government and corporate source code in the care of Dr. Yuchiro Hikari. Unsuccessful, they attempted to kidnap Hikari's son, Lan, and his friend Mayl to ransom them off for the secrets.

In a fortunate twist of fate, Athrun was there, and when the cops came, they caught everyone in one fell swoop. Like the other Omnipotence agents, the poisoning device killed Dean and his thugs as well. Their only remaining lead was Zimmerman and the head of a female android bodyguard named Gillian. In a surprising turn of events, Zimmerman agreed to talk, revealing himself as Athrun Zala. In a closed doors meeting, they mined the bodyguard's brain and learned where Omnipotence was moving the mobile suits, Toontown. Once again, Omnipotence fled capture, only to assemble the suits elsewhere and use them to attack Toontown. As the sci/psi team escaped for dear life, they were rescued by the magic team and then the ki team.

"You killed Gillian?" asked Trunks.

"Yes," replied Robin. "It was me who did it, actually. She was attacking us so I had no choice but to melt her."

"Thank you," said Trunks. "She was one of the thieves who robbed the Dragonball shrine on Namek. I wanted to find her, but you've saved me the trouble. With her dead, the guards and monks she murdered have been avenged."

"Yes, and now that we each know of the others' stories, I would like to mention that it would be in all of our best interests if we joined forces against the enemy," urged Folken. "If we do so, we can confront Omnipotence with a united front. Think of the resources we would have at our disposal! Ross and Naomi can give us information from the law enforcement community. We can gain the strength of powerful warriors like Trunks and access to star faring ships like the Blue Typhoon. From the children we can get the benefits of magic."

The members of the magic team huddled together and whispered amongst each other. "There's no need to talk us into twice. Consider us in," was their reply, delivered by Koichi.

The sci/psi team did the same and came up with a similar response. "We're in too," replied Ross.

"Great!" remarked Folken. "Now, we can now move on to the next step. From our adventures, we know that Omnipotence has subverted entire countries like Ironia to their agenda. We don't know how many more nations they have corrupted in this way. We can not defeat such an enemy unless we form an army of own, one that is mobile, yet powerful. We will also need a base to house this great army, a location where they can train and coordinate their members movements. We will also need someone to lead it, a person who can be a focal point where all Toons can rally."

At that moment, a brilliant light flashed in the room. Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow cards, appeared in the briefing room. "Master Reed!" exclaimed Sakura and Shaoron in unison.

"Hi Sakura, I hope you're well," greeted the great magician.

"We're fine," replied Shaoran. "We're in the middle of discussing how we should go about fighting Omnipotence."

"Excuse me for asking, but who's that guy?" asked Naomi.

"I'm Clow Reed, a very skilled magician if I do say so myself. Sakura and Shaoran are my two best students," replied Reed.

"So you're Clow Reed," muttered Naomi. "You're pretty good looking." That comment was met by a hostile glare from Ross which put her on the defensive.

"Welcome to the Blue Typhoon, Mr. Reed. Now that you are here, could you tell us more about the Stars of Destiny?" asked Tails.

"Of course," replied Reed. In fact, that's the reason why I came here in the first place. You may not realize it yet, but all of you are Stars of Destiny, and as one of the 108, you will play a very important role in times to come," lectured Reed.

Clow Reed snapped his fingers causing the image of a pair of stone slabs to materialize. Each of the slabs had a set of names carved into it in an unknown, ancient language. As the members of the three teams and Roger's friends and family stared at the slabs, the writing seemed to shift with a mind of its own. The writing smeared like spilled ink until it began to coalesce into a readable language. The writing turned out to be the titles of each of the 108 Stars of Destiny, as well as the person who held that title. The readers were surprised to see that the names of the Stars were themselves as well as other people they knew who had helped them in the struggle against Omnipotence. There were still many Stars who still haven't revealed themselves yet.

"Where did you acquire these tablets?" asked Tails.

"I recovered these tablets from a set of ruins in the no-man's-lands," informed Reed. "These ruins intrigued me so I began to study them."

"What did you find?" asked Folken.

"I learned about the 108 Stars of course as well as a little history about them. It is a recurring phenomenon which occurs whenever vast numbers of people are at a crossroads in fate. Often, such a crossroads results from a great crisis, usually of the nature of a great struggle or conflict, like a war. It is during these times that 108 special individuals will appear to reshape the future. These individuals, of course, are the 108 Stars of Destiny. We are not actually the first appearance of such a group. There have been several over the course of history. From my studies, I suspect that the formation of the Justice League is one such appearance, even though they are probably unaware of it."

"What else can you tell me about the tablets?" asked Folken.

"They are special artefacts that serve as a record of the 108 Stars of Destiny," replied Reed.

"You said you found them in a no-man's-land... Come to think of it, a remote area would be an ideal place to base our army. Can you tell me where it is?"

"I found them in the ruins of shrine which I dubbed the 'Shrine of Stars.' Instead of telling you where it is, why don't I show you," offered Reed.

Reed began to channel such great amounts of magical energy that he seemed to glow with an aura of blueness. A pair of cards formed around the master of the Clow and circled him. Being a Clow magician herself, Sakura recognized the two cards circling her master. They were the Return and Through cards, two cards which held power over space and time. The spirits of the cards passed through the walls of the Blue Typhoon and swirled into a circle before its bow. A great disk of light formed inside of which the crew on the bridge could see an unknown world.

Following Clow Reed's instructions, Tails ordered the bridge to fly the Blue Typhoon into this massive vortex of energy. When they reached the other side, the Blue Typhoon's bridge crew checked their instruments. Their vessel was hovering over a set of time-worn ruins made from marble. At the centre of these ruins was a great dais made of marble as well. This dais had three slots which once held the Tablets of the Stars until Clow Reed claimed them. The team disembarked from the ship and explored the ruins. They had a plain, utilitarian design of unknown origin.

As the others explored the ruins, Folken scanned the area, his razor sharp mind evaluating the strategic advantages of this location. "This place will do. There is a lot of space for our headquarters and many resources for our army and the refugees. All that we need now is to build our army and find someone to lead it."

"Indeed, but who will be the one?" asked Reed, almost to the point of doing so simply for effect.

"Not me," replied Folken. "I may be a Zaibach leader, but getting Toons to support me is another matter. We need someone who Toons and anime Toons can respect. We need someone who can get all Toons behind him and motivate them into action."

"Eddie could do it," said Roger.

"Eddie?" asked Reed.

"My old friend, Eddie Valiant," Roger clarified. "The Toons love Eddie. He found Marvin Acme's will for us and saved Toontown from Judge Doom. If anyone could get the Toons behind him, it would be him."

"...But didn't Eddie pass away about ten years ago? Even if he was alive today, he would be very old, too old to be of any use," observed Folken. "At his age, he wouldn't be in any condition to lead an army unless..."

"What?" asked Roger.

"I have an idea, but it's a very morbid one. I'm thinking of asking Faust to bring Eddie back to life. He's a necromancer so he should be able to do it."

"Neck-romancer?" asked Roger. "You're saying he's a vampire?"

"No, he's saying that Faust has the power to raise the dead," replied Clow Reed. "The problem is that anything Faust would raise would be nothing more than a mindless zombie. He can't bring spirits back from beyond the otherworld completely."

"Then our plan won't work," lamented Folken.

"Not quite," said Reed. "I was in Faust's presence on the Blue Typhoon during the meeting. I could clearly sense the presence of the guardian spirits of the Shaman. I'm positive that Faust had received some sort of outside help in order to get his spirit. The question now is who helped him get his spirit back? Once we recruit this person, I think we have a good chance of carrying out your plan."

* * *

The massacre in Toontown continued even as authorities desperately mounted resistance. Toon war planes swooshed across the sky blazing a trail of smoke behind them. They passed above the M1 Astrays, which opened fire on them with their beam rifles. Being simple unguided beams, the energy streaked by like trails of light. The Astrays were simply not capable hitting such mobile and rapidly moving targets like the jets with any degree of accuracy. Some distance away, the jets wheeled around in preparation for an attack run. The jets raced forward in tight formation, launching dozens of missiles nearly simultaneously. 

The missiles swooshed through the air like the jets, leaving a billow trail of smoke behind them. The Astrays turned around just in time to spot the missiles approaching. The mobile suits fired their beam rifles in unison, successfully hitting two of the planes, resulting in them going down. Though the Astrays also managed to sweep several missiles with their attack, they weren't fast enough to hit all of them. Those that slipped through their defences reached their targets and exploded in a violent burst of flame. The attack felled one of the three titanic war machines which crashed onto the ground with a loud thud. The other two tracked the jets as they flew by, returning fire all the while to eventually shoot them down.

Suddenly, a man in a red cape and blue spandex uniform sped at breakneck speeds towards the exposed backside of one of the Astrays. On his muscular chest was the symbol of a downward pointing red pentagon with the mighty red "S" emblazoned on a yellow background. This man was the greatest hero ever known to human and Toon alike. At breakneck speed, he drove a fist into the back of the Astray's head, causing the great war machine to stumble forward. With a second brutal haymaker, the Superhero toppled the giant weapon of destruction. The Astray's brother fired on the Superhero, who dodged with preternatural speed.

The Superhero zipped up to the Astray's face and delivered a bone crushing punch to the face. The immense force of this hit put a massive dent into the machine, but the Superhero was not content until the machine had felt the entirety of his wrath. The Superhero threw a second and then a third punch, pummelling the M1 Astray back with each hit causing a resounding boom to rip through the air. With a massive uppercut, the machine toppled over on its backside, hitting the ground with a thud loud enough to deafen people miles away. Since this was the last of the Astrays, Toontown had no more to fear from them.

"J'onn, I've dealt with the situation," said the Superhero.

"Good work, Superman. There are still monsters attacking Toons in the west side. Wonder Woman could use your assistance immediately," replied J'onn.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few seconds."

Superman and his Superhero allies quickly defeated the monsters that had swarmed Toontown devouring whatever had crossed their path. From the ashes of ravaged Toontown came sorrow and resentment. From sorrow and resentment came anger and vengeance. The Toons who once lived in the formerly peaceful city, the city of laughter and joy that was Toontown, demanded answers. Those that survived the horror wanted to know who could have done something so cruel to their friends and family. They wanted to know who and why, but once they found out, those who committed this crime would face bitter retribution.

Only a few days later would they learn just who exactly was responsible. Police helicopters, following a tip from intelligence sources descended upon a camp somewhere in the outskirts of Toontown. The camp was largely abandoned; its original occupants having fled it long ago. There was a great but empty cage that reeked of spoiled food and feces. It once held some kind of creature or creatures in it which had long since escaped, likely released onto an unsuspecting Toontown. The tents were painted in mottled green camouflage of the military style. One was a tent filled with military grade weapons and ammunition in the form of assault rifles and rocket launchers.

The police searched a second tent and found similarly styled uniforms within. For their insignias, the uniforms had the symbol of the sun superimposed over a semi-circle with upward pointing wings. The word "ORB" was written prominently on the centre. The police scoured the camp from top to bottom until they found the last piece of evidence that indicated the responsible party. In a far corner of a third tent, detectives found a lost wallet containing some pocket money and the driver's license of a man named Montgomery O'Haire. The issuing nation of the license was the Orb Union.

These bits and pieces of evidence pointed the finger of blame squarely at the Orb Union. This revelation triggered an angry outcry throughout the Tooniverse. All over the world, papers came out with headlines like "Orb invades Toontown" and "Nation of peace sponsors terrorists." The outcry was so great that Toons began demanding retribution against the hated nation of Orb. One man stepped forward to answer these cries for vengeance and his name was Adam Acme. Standing before his nation on television, Acme addressed his party and the world at large. His face showed a seriousness and gravity not normally seen on the face of someone of his family.

"My fellow Toons, a week ago, we, the people of Toontown, fell victim to one of the most heinous crimes to ever befall Toon or human," began Acme. "It was not since the Los Angeles massacre that we've ever had to witness such a terrible atrocity. Seeing such a terrible crime happen before our very eyes show us that we can not be complacent anymore. Our complacency has caused us to turn a blind eye to anime barbarism and violence. As a result, their killers came to our homes with impunity, burned them to the ground, and slaughtered those we loved the most without pity or remorse. If we continue to look the other way, they will come again and again until none of us are left. It is time we shook off the shackles of complacency. It is time for us to strike back against these murderers once and for all!"

The crowd broke out into a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes. Toons from all over the Tooniverse joined in the jubilation. Anger and vengeance was the order of the day, having overridden the better judgement of the people of the Tooniverse. Those who wisely chose to be calm and keep a cool head were in the minority and scorned derisively. In a week's time came the election for the new president of the Tooniverse. Millions of Toons flooded voting stations across their nation as though a hot, popular concert was playing in the voting areas. It was remembered as a world record of more than 90 in voter turn out.

That night, the votes were tallied. People across the Tooniverse tuned in eagerly to see who would be their next leader. The news ran images of bar graphs showing the percentage of votes for each candidate. The tallest one, belonging to Adam Acme, was displayed in bright orange. "The winner of the 2005 presidential election is Adam Acme by a landslide," announced the female newscaster. "Acme took over 60 of the vote, about 12 million Toons. He will be inaugurated at the Fun House tomorrow, making him the first human president of the Tooniverse."

The next day, the Tooniverse underwent a historical milestone in its history. Being the first human to ever become Tooniverse president was an achievement no one else could ever hope to accomplish. As the descendent of a man, Marvin Acme, who had worked very closely with Toons, Adam Acme was perfectly placed to get such an accolade. As an official held out a copy of the Tooniverse's constitution, Adam Acme read out the world's highest laws as written on the parchment. With his left arm raised, he swore to uphold these laws and the beliefs of the Toon people as their president.

Over the course of a month, Adam Acme set out to do what he promised to do; bring those who attacked Toontown to justice. At military barracks around the Tooniverse, saucer-like spacecraft hovered above marked landing zones. Below, a man in an orange worker's vest waved bright, neon orange sticks to guide the craft to the ground safely. When the UFO landed, a side door opened to allow passengers inside. In three by three groups soldiers marched inside in lock step. Their loved ones; wives, husbands, and children, waved them on as they marched off to war.

* * *

Back in the Shrine of the Stars, the Stars of Destiny worked diligently to build up their headquarters and their forces. Every minute they spent on building was another minute Omnipotence was allowed to carry out further attacks against the anime worlds. However, it was a necessary evil as such an army of disparate parts absolutely required a location to train and coordinate. Already, their efforts had borne fruit with dome-like buildings rising up rapidly to house and provide services for the new born army. These buildings were donated to the fledgling army by the Capsule Corp., the company owned by Trunks' family. 

As Trunks walked through the new base, beside him was a woman in her late thirties. The beautiful, blue-haired woman looked around the base in awe of her surroundings. "Wow, you sure built this place quickly!" she remarked.

"It was a lot of work, mom," said Trunks. "We need to be prepared. We're going to be fighting a war soon, a very important war."

"Yeah, that's why I'm decided to help you in anyway I can. I'm off to meet your scientists. See you later."

"Yeah, I'll go check up on Piccolo. See you later," replied Trunks.

The woman, Bulma Briefs, walked down the road to an immaculate, sterile white dome. This dome was the research and development building, where the scientific members designed and built new technology for the army. Inside, the receptionist showed her the way to a meeting room. Already, several individuals were in the room, discussing about the security of their computer networks. It was imperative to defend against electronic attacks from hackers. The scientists were Tails, Izzy, Dr. Eggman, Dr. Yuchiro Hikari, and a new person. This new scientist was a wizened, elderly man with an unkempt moustache and grey hair that was divided into two tufts near his ears. He was Dr. Albert W. Wily, the mentor of Dr. Hikari and a good friend.

"It is very important that we improve the security of our computer networks, " urged Dr. Wily. "Right now, our security is still too weak. At last count, I found over two hundred vulnerabilities which a hacker could exploit. That is far too much! Our systems are at far too much risk against a determined intruder."

"Every time we close a hole, two more pop up in its place," said Tails, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Why don't we put something in the network to garrison our systems?" asked Izzy as a suggestion.

"You mean put viruses into our own network? Like guards?" asked Dr. Hikari.

"I see," commented Dr. Wily. "So if anyone wants illegal access to our systems, they will have to fight for it."

"Exactly," said Izzy succinctly. "There is no way we can close all the vulnerabilities in our systems. The only way is have guards posted inside our computers, just like we post guards outside of the headquarters."

"That sounds like an interesting idea, but we'd need someone on the ships to keep things running smoothly," observed Dr. Hikari. "The problem is, there aren't that many people that can do that. The only people that could do it us, my son, and Mayl."

Tails suddenly noticed Bulma standing in the doorway. "Oh, you're Bulma aren't you?" he asked.

"Yep, I'm here to join you," she replied.

"Okay, here's what's happening..." began Tails.

Meanwhile, Yoh and Morty were hanging out in a mess hall constructed to feed the Zaibach detachment. "Mmmm, this stuff's great," commented Yoh.

"Yeah, you said it. You get to eat whatever you want without having Anna nagging you all day about it," agreed Morty.

"So I'm a nag am I?" asked a young blonde girl as she spoke up behind the boys. She was accompanied by Faust and their friend Ryo, who seemed to have recovered from Korn's vicious attack.

Morty turned around. "Gah! Anna!"

"If you're done fooling around I'm just here to say 'hello,'" said Anna.

"Oh sure, hello Anna," said Yoh. "Ryo's with you?"

"I couldn't keep him away... When he recovered, he insisted on coming with me to help you," replied the young priestess.

"Yep, I want of piece of Korn. Where is he?" asked Ryo, a man who spoke with a strong Hispanic accent.

"Dead," replied Morty succinctly.

"At least tell me you got the prayer beads," said Anna.

"No, he didn't have them," replied Yoh.

"Wait minute, how could he be dead? I'm ready to give him some payback and you tell me he's already dead?" asked Ryo irately. "How did this happen?"

"We fought him and he kinda took himself out," said Morty, who proceeded to narrated Korn's last moments. Korn had used the ninja techniques of some of their companions to gain an edge over them. Since he was not a ninja, this act carried stiff penalties in the form of the phenomenon known as Paradox. He ended up losing control of a cloning technique, multiplying himself involuntarily and uncontrollably until he exhausted his energy reserves. "You had to have been there. There were like a million copies of him and they poofed just like that once he ran out of energy."

"Man, what a way to go." Ryo sighed, as now, he would never get a chance for payback. "Well, at least you guys took care of him for me. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," said Yoh. "Always happy to help a friend. Are the other Dead Enders okay?"

"Sure, they recovered just like I did. They saw how you were out there working your butt off and came here with me to help you."

"I'll catch you later. Faust and I have to meet the top brass," said Anna. "See you two later."

Anna and Faust made their way past rows of dome buildings to one that was constructed near the dais. This one seemed much more prominent than the others, due to its size as well as its location. The entrance was guarded by a pair of men in black uniforms adorned by unknown golden symbols. They were Zaibach soldiers. Anna showed the men an ID card before they allowed her to enter the building. Inside, other men escorted her and Faust to the room of Folken Fanel, who had assumed the role of the strategist and advisor of the new anti-Omnipotence army. Folken looked up from some reports scattered on his desk.

"Ah, just the people I've been waiting for..." greeted Folken. "You're Anna Kyoyama, I presume."

"That's right. Why did you call me?" asked Anna.

"That's a long story. As you can see, we're building an army to resist Omnipotence. We're making good progress at the moment, but we need someone to act as our leader."

"You're not the leader?" asked Anna incredulously.

"Sort of," replied Folken. "The position I want filled is more of a figurehead, really. He would be someone we'd like as our public face; a person who can get others behind him. I may be a skilled tactician, but I'm clearly not cut out for such a role. However, I do have someone in mind, but that person is dead."

"Who is it?" asked Faust.

"Eddie Valiant," replied Folken succinctly. "He is, or was, a private investigator who worked very closely with Toons. One of the greatest cases he had ever solved was the murder of the late Marvin Acme. As a result of solving this case, he found Marvin Acme's lost will, which promised Toontown to the Toons, thus ensuring its safety from rogue developers. It's because of this case that the man's so respected by the Toons."

"So you called us here because you want us to bring him back to life?" asked Faust.

"Exactly," replied Faust. "We definitely need someone like him on our side. Considering the current political climate, we really need his help now more than ever. Omnipotence's attack and falsified evidence have increased tensions between Toons and anime Toons. Other than the Toon refugees and Roger Rabbit's family, the majority of our forces are anime Toons. It is best that we get the Toons to help us to maximize the odds in our favour. Is it possible to resurrect Eddie Valiant?"

"Sort of," said Anna. "We can't bring him back to life completely, but I can bring his spirit back to the mortal plane."

"Once she does that, it is possible for me to put him back into his body, but then he'd just be a reanimated skeleton. He would be useless as a figurehead like you're proposing," warned Faust.

"Hmm," muttered Folken, deep in thought until he came up with a way to work around that problem. "Suppose that we made a humanoid shell, a kind of android in his likeness from his remains. Would it be possible to put his spirit into it to control the body?"

"I suppose it's possible," replied Faust. "...But we'd need someone who is skilled in robotics to make the body like you're suggesting."

"Don't worry, I know several people with such talents," assured Folken. "So, is it still possible?"

"I think so," replied Anna.

Folken smiled satisfactorily. "Well, consider those your new orders; bring Eddie Valiant back to life." Faust quickly wrote down a set of orders for Dr. Eggman and his peers. "Take this to Dr. Eggman at the R&D dome. He and the other researchers will help you."

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#38 Chisatsu, The Violent Star: Ryo/Tokagero (Shaman King)  
#41 Chiyu, The Heroic Star: Anna Kyoyama (Shaman King)  
#54 Chisa, The Aiding Star: Dr. Yuchiro Hikari (Megaman NT Warrior)  
#55 Chiyu, The Helpful Star: Dr. Albert W. Wily (Megaman NT Warrior)  
#64 Chihi, The Flying Star: Bulma Briefs (Dragonball Z)  
#65 Chisou, The Walking Star: Benny the Cab (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)  
#86 Chihi, The Orphan Star: Piccolo (Dragonball Z)

Spotlight: Dragonball Z (Dragonball, Dragonball GT)

The Dragonball series Z follows the life of a man named Goku Son. Goku spent the majority of his life perfecting his martial arts technique and training to become the best martial artist in the world. In his world of Zeta Earth, there exist seven golden spheres with red stars embedded in them known as the Dragonballs. When brought together, the gatherer can summon a mighty dragon to grant them a wish. Much of Dragonball revolved around these artefacts, either to prevent their misuse or to use them to help stop a great menace to the Earth.

Origins:  
The martial artists of Dragonball Z had to train very hard to acquire the power they possessed. Often this required the supervision of a skilled master. While the human members of Goku's sphere of friends are very powerful, it is the full Saiyans and part Saiyans that exhibit the greatest power. The Saiyans are a race of people who are naturally very powerful with their world's ki powers and simply love a good fight. In fact, Goku is not actually human, but of a member of this Saiyan race. Goku has made many friends and rivals in his life. In particular, Piccolo was a former enemy who became friendly, while Trunks is the son of Saiyan rival Vegita and human childhood friend Bulma.

Powers:  
The major power type of Zeta Earth is ki. Through ki, its users gain great physical power such as super human speed, strength, and resistance to harm. They can even use ki to fly, manifest energy-based attacks, and even heal others to a limited extent. The Saiyans and part Saiyans, in particular, can ascend to a higher state of power known as "Super Saiyan," which increases their power immensely. Due to their great power, few people can match the warriors of Zeta Earth in a direct, one-on-one confrontation.


	12. Rise of the 108 Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Rise of the 108, part 2: Flight of the Archangel **

A new day dawned on the unnamed planet in the no-man's-land. The army worked diligently at their base in preparation for massive battle against Omnipotence in the future. This organisation, the most far reaching terrorist group ever discovered in the anime worlds, was able to subvert entire nations towards their agenda. Their most daring act was their attack on Toontown using stolen Orb military hardware. After leaving behind evidence suspected of being falsified, Omnipotence had successfully diverted the attention of the Toons away from them and towards Orb. 

Perhaps Omnipotence, fearing defeat, had staged this attack as a final desperate ploy to avert their inevitable destruction at the hands of their enemies. Alternatively, they could have planned this attack from the very beginning, as a way to create a rift between Toons and anime Toons. Anime Toons, barring certain exceptions, came from neutral, non-hostile nations and territories like the Orb Union. However, if Omnipotence attacks continued, war would certainly break out between Toons and anime Toons. Though the situation was bleak, there was still hope. Omnipotence's actions had the unwanted effect of causing multiple different anime nations to unite in opposition.

At a quiet restaurant in the army's headquarters, such troubles seemed distant, almost unheard of. A college-age Japanese waiter delivered a bowl of ramen, Chinese noodles, to a customer in the back corner. The customer, a dark man in a brown trench coat, thanked his waiter as he claimed his meal. "That's my order, thank you. By the way, have you seen anyone named Robin Sena or a Miho Karasuma?" asked the man.

"No, sorry," replied the waiter.

"Well, if you do, could you please tell them that Amon was here looking for them? I would appreciate that very much," said Amon.

"Sure, I'll let them know," replied the waiter.

As the man ate, he watched the waiter deliver a second order to two girls, one Chinese the other Japanese, seated at a booth in the front of the store. As the waiter made the delivery, the three talked amongst themselves, as though they were quite familiar with each other. "Thanks Tory!" said the Japanese girl.

"No problem. Enjoy your meal, Madison," said Tory.

"Alright! Chow time!" said the other, Meilin.

As the two girls dug into their meals, Tory fetched some orders in the back and delivered it to the two boys seated in the neighbouring booth. At that moment, Sakura, Kero, Shaoran, and Yolei entered the restaurant. Through some strange superhuman sense, Meilin sensed the Clow magicians' entry and bolted out of her seat to confront the two. "Aha Avalon, I knew it! The moment I turn my back, you're fooling around with Shaoran!" 

"Meilin!" said Sakura out of shock.

"Who's the weirdo?" asked Yolei.

"Who are you calling a weirdo?" asked Meilin indignantly.

"That's Meilin. She's my cousin. We took magic lessons together with Sakura," informed Shaoran.

"Cousin?" asked Yolei.

"We're from the same clan. We're very distant cousins," replied Shaoran.

"Hi Sakura," greeted Madison. "We were looking for you. Clow Reed suggested that we help you out, so we came here. So how are things going?"

"Everything's coming along great. I've made many new friends along the way." Sakura turned to Yolei. "This is Yolei. She's a Digidestined from the Digital Nations. She was one of the people who saved me from some bee monsters awhile back."

"Hi!" greeted Yolei.

"Hi, I'm Madison. Pleased to meet you, Yolei. Why don't you join us for lunch while you're here? Meilin and I were about to eat."

"Sure, why not?"

In the neighbouring booth, the two boys seated there had heard Yolei's voice and recognized it. The first was Joe Kido, one of her Digidestined team mates, and with him was Gomamon as always. The other was a brown haired boy wearing a pair of goggles. He was Takato Matsuki, who was a member of a different team called the Digimon Tamers. Beside him was a red, dinosaur-like creature with black tribal markings. He was Guilmon, Takato's Digimon partner. The two ate their lunch oblivious to the events with Madison and Meilin.

"Yolei!" called Joe.

"Joe! I didn't know you were there!" replied Yolei.

"Yeah, I was here the whole time. Takato and I came to help after we took care of the trouble back home," informed Joe.

"We're here whenever you need us. Feel free to look us up any time," assured Takato.

"With all you guys helping us, those bad guys are going down in no time!" proclaimed Yolei.

* * *

In the head strategist's office, Athrun sat across from the army's brilliant strategist, Folken Fanel. The mood was tense as the two argued a serious issue. After suffering the attack by Omnipotence's Toontown attack, the Toons prepared to retaliate against Orb, who they mistakenly believed to be the perpetrators. Despite Orb's denial of any responsibility for the attack, the Toons were not convinced. It was only a matter of time before the Toons began their retaliatory invasion against Orb. Having defected from ZAFT long ago out of disgust with its policies, Athrun didn't want to see the things he cherished ruined by war once again.

"Why won't you send anyone to help? Many people I care about are living there! We can't just leave them to die!" decried Athrun.

"I know how you feel, but we can't afford to draw the hostility of the Toons," objected Folken. "When we formed this organization, it was to stop Omnipotence, not to get fight a war against Toons. We wouldn't last a second against them in our current condition." 

"So are you saying we're going to sit back and do nothing?" asked Athrun.

"No, I am not saying that," replied Folken.

"So what are you saying?" asked Athrun.

"What I'm saying is that we must pick our fights carefully. Angering the Toons is not a wise move. It would only be in Omnipotence's favour if that happened. They want us and the Toons to fight each other, ignoring them and letting them continue their agenda unhindered." Folken sighed. "I only wish that someone else could take care of Orb for us, but who's going to risk their neck just to do that? We're not sending troops to Orb and that's final."

"Yeah, sorry I asked," muttered Athrun as he stormed out of the room in disappointment.

If Athrun could not get help for Orb, he would help Orb himself. Two days later, he secretly recruited allies to do just that. He found himself in a streetcar moving down the streets of a modern city. The streetcar was totally filled and it was difficult to breath with all of the people stuffed into it like a sardine can. This was the city he had lived in after the Bloody Valentine War reached its conclusion. It was Orb City, the capital of the Orb Union itself. The streets were packed with cars all travelling to a single unknown location. Athrun's companions looked out of the windows of the street car as the vacant stores and homes passed them by. For a certain member of his team, it was a great opportunity to see what life was like outside of his small world.

"Wow, look at all those people!" blurted Naruto as looked out of the window.

Sakura listened to the beeping of the cars and an argument between an irate driver and some police officers. "Everyone is jumpy because of the war." Sakura sighed.

"We're meeting the leader of Orb, is that correct?" asked Ross.

"Yeah, Uzumi Nara Athha," said Athrun.

The streetcar stopped at a waiting area just across the street from a regal building in the heart of the Orb capital. The concrete structure was a parliament building with an old fashioned design. It had shingled roof tops and spires of concrete and bricks. Athrun showed his identification to the guards, who led him to the office of Orb's leader, Uzumi Nara Athha, himself. Athha was a bearded man in his early fifties with a tanned complexion and greying brown hair. He wore a purple uniform, a noble colour befitting such a noble man like himself.

"Athrun, it's good to see you," greeted Athha. "I take it that you've heard the news and returned to Orb with friends to help us in our hour of need."

"Yes. Is Cagalli alright? Where is she?" asked Athrun.

"She's fine. I've sent her to join your old comrades at the Archangel. I want you to go with her," requested Athha.

"What? But sir, what about you?" asked Athrun. "If you stay, they'll capture you and put you before a kangaroo court for war crimes!"

"I know, but I can't abandon my nation in its time of need. As its leader, I must protect its people 'til the very end. As a father, my concern for my daughter's safety is greater than my own. I appreciate your concern for my welfare, but you are a member of Cagalli's personal guard. Your duty is to protect her. I'm sorry, but I have to do this..." Athha pressed a button on his intercom system. "Guards, please escort Mr. Zala to the Archangel."

A pair of guards entered Attha's room and guards flanked Athrun. As they grabbed him, Athrun became irate. "What are you doing?" 

"Making sure you go to my daughter," replied Athha. 

The guards handcuffed him before dragging him out of the room. "...But sir! There's still time! You can join us on the Kusanagi! Please reconsider..."

Naomi was incensed at this scene. "How can you stand there and..."

"Naomi, please don't make a scene," interrupted Ross.

"...But Ross!"

"Please don't. It's already hard enough for him to do this as it is," said Ross. "We have a job to do, is that right, Mr. President?"

"Yes, please protect my daughter. That's all I ask," replied Athha. "The guards will direct you to your ship."

The guards escorted Athrun's team to a military truck parked outside of the presidential building. They abruptly shoved Athrun into the seat while his team mates flanked his escort on the metal benches. The truck started and sped down Orb City's labyrinthine streets until they came upon a military depot. This depot was constructed at the end of a great strip of metal that ran into the sea. It looked almost like a bridge, but towards the seaward end, the strip began to curve upwards into the sky. This great structure was Orb's mass driver, a device which launched earthbound ships into outer space.

The guards escorted the team to a great white space ship housed within this depot. This great ship had red highlights and a pair of fins above the thrusters and on the side for improving aerodynamics while in the Earth's atmosphere. Its front forked into a pair of protrusions which functioned as bays for launching mobile suits, mobile armour, and as holders for energy based weapons. The ship was heavily armed, a fact well displayed by the numerous cannons and weapons bays grafted onto its chassis. Once they boarded the ship, a crew member showed the team to their quarters.

One of the men activated a wall-based intercom system. "Captain Ramius, we've arrived on the ship." 

On the bridge of the ship, an attractive brunette in her late twenties listened to the guard's report. This woman was dressed in the white regalia of a commanding naval officer. She was the captain of the Archangel, Captain Murrue Ramius. "Understood," she replied. "Helm, prepare for take off!"

With the muffled roar of its engine, the Archangel lifted itself above the ground and moved into a line-up at the end of the mass driver. When its turn came, the Archangel stationed itself at the end of the runway facing towards the sea. All of a sudden, a great force propelled the Archangel forward. The great ship travelled for miles out into the sea before the track bent upwards into the sky. The ship continued its ascent until it reached escape velocity. Though the track ended, the Archangel continued its climb upwards until it shot out of the Earth's atmosphere.

"Helm, set a course for the moon at maximum speed," ordered Captain Ramius.

As the Archangel travelled to its rendezvous point at the moon, Athrun's team decided to become acquainted with the ship. The Archangel was a massive ship and it was very easy to get lost within its seemingly endless metal corridors. Feeling hungry, Naruto made his way to the ship's mess hall, and ate the special of the day, fish and chips. On his way out after eating, Naruto crossed the path of officers coming to eat. Coming from the direction he was travelling was a blond man with a handsome, roguish face. From behind Naruto came the ship's junior officers, who were merely teenagers. They watched as the strangely dressed ninja walked down the hall.

"Oh hi, Mu!" remarked one of the juniors, Sai Argyle, a boy with glasses. "Eating lunch now?"

"Yeah," replied Mu La Flaga, ace mobile armour and mobile suit pilot as the two groups entered the mess hall. "Say, don't look now, but that's a very strange kid that just passed by."

"Yeah, I think he's one of the Supernaturals who boarded the ship with Athrun," informed a kind Japanese boy named Kira Yamato. 

"Aren't they those people with strange and fantastic powers?" asked the brunette, Miriallia Haw, as she sat down at the table.

"Supernaturals? Scary! I heard they could do things that even a Coordinator couldn't do," said a red headed girl, Flay Alster.

"Like what?" asked Sai.

"You know how they say Coordinators are supposed to be stronger, faster, and smarter?" asked Kira.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with Supernaturals?" asked Sai.

"Everything," replied Kira. "Do you know of any Coordinator strong enough to lift a tank above his head with his bare hands?"

Sai was noticeably taken aback by that claim. "That's nothing. I heard that they could compete in a Formula One race just on foot, without ever using a car," said Mu.

"That's crazy!" remarked Miriallia.

"Crazy? You haven't even heard of the things I have," said Flay. "I've heard of Supernaturals that can shoot fire and energy from their hands. I've heard of Supernaturals that can fly as fast as a jet plane, without using a plane at all."

"Wow, that's amazing!" remarked Sai.

Later on, the crew returned to their stations at the bridge of the Archangel. Unlike the rest of the ship, there was no sense of gravity in this area. The young crew members floated to various control terminals to man them as the Archangel traversed the last legs of its trip. Their radar began beeping as a trio of ships loomed in the space above the moon. On the viewing screen, they were merely dots due to the distance the Archangel was from them. Those ships seemed to be waiting in the area for the Archangel to arrive. 

Once they came closer, they were able to identify two of the ships. The first was the Eternal, a slender ship with a chassis painted in a faint shade of red. Notably, it seemed to have white, wing-like protrusions which served for improved aerodynamics should the ship enter the Earth's atmosphere. This was the ship of Lacus Clyne, a pop star who turned into an anti-war guerrilla fighter. The second ship belonged to Cagalli Yula Athha, the princess of the Orb Union. This ship, the Kusanagi, was the predecessor of the Archangel, having a similar style to its construction, but being more slender with a clamp-like structure as its mobile suit launcher.

With these ships present, the original Three Ship Alliance, heroes of the Bloody Valentine War, had reunited. However, the Three Ship Alliance seemed to have gained a mysterious new member. No one on the Archangel had ever seen this ship before. Its construction was alien, not like anything ever found in the Cosmic Era. The top portion of this violet ship resembled the body of a manta ray that ended in a pair of fins. From this manta-like structure protruded a long violet stalk that ended into a fork-like pair of fins. This ship did not seem hostile, despite its fearsome appearance.

"Captain, the unidentified ship is hailing us," reported the communications officer.

"Open a channel," ordered Captain Ramius.

"Archangel, this is the Crimson Egg. Do you read me?" asked Dr. Eggman through the radio.

"We read you Crimson Egg," replied Captain Ramius.

"Glad to meet you. I am Dr. Ivo Eggman. We'll be your escort. In order to move to the next waypoint, we will need to travel interdimensionally. Once we open a gate, you, the Eternal, and the Kusanagi will fly while we follow behind."

Within seconds, the space before the Crimson Egg began to shift as mists of energy swirled into a vortex. The swirling stabilized to form the image of another planet within. One by one, the Three Ship Alliance flew into the portal and popped out at the other side to the presence of a space station in orbit around this unknown planet. The Alliance and the Crimson Egg docked and the crew disembarked for some rest and relaxation. When the junior members disembarked, they were in awe of the strange people that milled about around them.

Indeed, Supernaturals were exceedingly rare in the Cosmic Era, the timeline of the Gundam worlds from which the junior officers hailed. No two Supernaturals were alike and more than a few weren't even human at all, particularly the Digimon. Some Digimon were very scary to behold with their toothy maws and massive claws. Others were as cute as a button and so adorable that they could melt the heart of any girl. There were also those that were at least partially human, at least in appearance, who didn't seem out of the ordinary.

In the neighbouring docking area was the catwalk to the Crimson Egg. In the next one further down was the Blue Typhoon, which was being maintained by Tails and Bulma. The junior officers watched as Amy Rose wrapped her arms around Sonic, much to his chagrin, and said something they couldn't make out. "Wow, a pink hedgehog," remarked Sai.

"Oh, she's so adorable!" commented Flay.

Amy Rose continued to hug Sonic as a second pair of anthropomorphic animals walked over to greet them from the Crimson Egg. The first was Knuckles, who had recovered from his confrontation with Leguma and Omnipotence. The second was Rouge, a sultry bat-like creature. From the signals sent by the animals' behaviour, they seemed to be quite familiar with each other. In fact, they were a very close knit group that spent great amounts of time together. They started a conversation which Sonic and Amy.

"Well, well, aren't we the happy couple?" asked Rouge rhetorically.

Amy let Sonic go upon noticing the other couple. "Hi Knuckles, I'm glad to see you up and about," said Sonic.

"Nice to see you too, Sonic. I've got a score to settle with Leguma, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me around," replied Knuckles.

"...And me too, honey," said Rouge. "I figure that if we're gonna be chasing robbers, I might as take this opportunity to pick up some new jewels for my collection. Besides, no one beats up my dear Knucky and gets away with it."

Knuckles grimaced. "Please, don't call me 'Knucky!'"

Rouge chuckled. "We've got to be going. Ta ta, darlings!"

"Goodbye," said Sonic. "Later, Knucky!" Sonic chuckled teasingly at Knuckles, who threw somewhat of a tantrum at the mention of his nickname.

"Don't call me 'Knucky!'"

* * *

Captain Ramius walked through the army's headquarters until she came upon the door to the chief strategist's office. Guarding this entrance was a strange, but very vigilant Doberman. In particular, Doberman breed dogs were known for being guard and attack dogs. These facts gave them an intimidating reputation. As the captain approached, the Doberman glanced over her and took a whiff. At this point, Murrue was very close to the creature, too close for comfort. It was a fearsome creature indeed, with its spiked collar and particularly large size for a dog. Deep down, she felt intimidated by this creature.

"You are here to speak to Mr. Fanel, am I correct?" asked the dog, surprising Murrue. 

"You can talk?" gasped Murrue.

"Of course I can. All of Digimon-kind can talk," replied the dog. "I'm what you called a 'Dobermon,' a species of Digimon, but you can call me Harold."

"This is the first time I've ever met a dog who can talk," admitted Murrue.

"I'm not surprised," replied Harold. "You don't see Digimon out of the Digital Nations too often. Anyways, you're here to meet Mr. Fanel, right?"

"Yes," replied Murrue.

Harold stepped aside, allowing Murrue to enter Folken's room. "Captain Murrue Ramius, I presume? Pleased to meet you; I'm Folken Fanel, the chief strategist of this group. I'm sure you have been briefed by Lord Athha about the situation."

Folken got off his chair to shake Captain Ramius' hand. "That is correct. The Three Ship Alliance is prepared to assist you against the Omnipotence organization."

Meanwhile, Anna Kyoyama was busy preparing for her séance with Eddie Valiant. The scientists and engineers of the army waited patiently as the young priestess concentrated on her prayer beads. As she chanted strange prayers in Japanese, her beads lit up blue like a beacon to guide the ghosts in the spiritual world. Before her beads formed the translucent image of a human world man in a beige trench coat. He wore suspenders and a dress shirt underneath that was visible through an opening in his coat. The man had a fairly gruff looking appearance with dark hair and was somewhat portly. He was very incensed at being disturbed from his rest in the afterlife.

"Who the hell is calling me?" said Eddie. "You'd better have a good reason!"

"Eddie!" said Roger, thrilled to finally see the face of his best friend once again. "It's me Roger! Don't you recognize me?"

"Roger? Hey pal, it's been such a long time. How've ya been?"

"I'm feeling good. I married Jessica and we had two kids together," replied Roger.

"Wow, that's great! Congratulations! I wish I was around to see your kids."

"Yeah... Listen, Eddie we need your help," asked Roger. "A month ago, Toontown was attacked."

Eddie now showed great concern. "Attacked? How did that happen?"

"They used these big robots that my friend Ross was trying to track down. I crashed into their warehouse one night and they tied me up. He rescued me as they were trying to get away. They built up the robots and set them loose on Toontown with scary monsters."

"I see," replied Eddie. "Who did this?" Roger proceeded to describe the adventures of the ki, sci/psi, and magic teams, who've all faced down Omnipotence during their adventures. He also told him of the army's current situation. "So they're anime Toons? You want me to lead the same people who turned LA into a wasteland?"

"It wasn't their fault. They are good people. They didn't kill all those people," said Roger in defence of the anime Toons. "They didn't attack Toontown. Omnipotence is framing them, just like Judge Doom framed me for Marvin Acme's murder. They need your help. They need you to lead them to fight the bad guys and show the Toons that they're not guilty. Do it for me p-p-p-p-p-p-pleeeease?"

"Oh alright," replied Eddie. "If its to help Toons you can count me in." 

"Thanks Eddie, you're the greatest!" said Roger. 

"Yeah, but how do I lead an army? I'm just a ghost." 

"That's where we come in, Mr. Valiant," addressed Faust. "I am Dr. Johannes Faust VIII and these are my colleagues." Faust proceeded to introduce the other members of his team of scientists and spiritualists. "We are going to place your spirit into the body of a special android. However, we've hit a snag in the android's animation ritual. In order to overcome it, we need access to your remains."

"So you're going to dig up my grave?" asked Eddie. "Oh great, just great." 

"Is it okay with you?" asked Faust. "We simply can't continue the project without those remains."

"Sure, but if you are going to raise me from the dead, could you do the same for Dolores?" asked Eddie. "I want her to see how the world has changed since our time. I want her to see Roger's children." 

"Who's Dolores?" asked Tails.

"Dolores is Eddie's wife," informed Roger.

"Oh okay, I guess we can make another android for her," replied Tails. "However, it will take some time because we weren't planning on making another one."

"Thanks a lot, Tails," said Eddie.

* * *

Meanwhile, Takato and Guilmon played Frisbee with Sakura and her friends. Sakura tossed the disc to Takato, who then tossed it to Guilmon. Instead of catching it, the disc flew past the dinosaur and into some bushes. Behind the shrubbery, Kira Yamato walked up a set of stairs accompanied by Lacus. The Frisbee landed on the steps just in time for Kira to step on it. The strange sensation puzzled him and caused him to look down. Lacus looked down wondering what he saw and picked up the disc out of curiosity just as Guilmon came into area.

"Oh excuse me! That's my Frisbee," said Guilmon. "Can I have it back, please?"

The way he looked and how he said it made Guilmon appear very cute to Lacus. He acted much like a dog even though he looked nothing like one. "Here you go Mr. Dinosaur."

"Thank you!" said Guilmon, before taking the disc and running back.

"Cute little guy," remarked Kira before continuing on his way with Lacus.

At this precise moment, Koichi happened to pass by. "Oh hi Guilmon!"

"Hi Koichi!" he replied as he ran back to his friends.

Koichi continued down the road to a patio outside of a cafe. With all the soldiers, heroes, and personnel at the location, it was important to have a place where they could unwind and have a meal. This beautiful cafe had a French motif to it. It had white plastic tables covered by umbrellas with similarly styled chairs. At one of these tables was Jessica Rabbit, seated with her two kids, Rena and Rick. The Rabbit family was eating a dessert of vanilla ice cream with a handful of sprinkles scattered on top. As Koichi came into view, Jessica waved to Koichi.

"Hi Ms. Rabbit!" said Koichi.

"Oh, hi Koichi, I wasn't expecting to see you here," replied Jessica.

"Hi Uncle Koichi!" greeted the young Rabbits.

"Hey little guys, how's it been?"

"It's been great here. Everyone's so cool!" replied Rick. "Sonic took me on a ride in one of the Blue Typhoon's ships."

"Wow, that's great. It must've been exciting!"

"Yeah, we flew over the ocean and even into space," said Rick.

"Hiya kids!" greeted Roger as he approached.

"Hi Roger, so how was the séance?" asked Jessica.

"Eddie was a little... What's that word? Oh yeah, reluctant! Yeah! He was reluctant at first but he said 'yes!' after I asked him to help us," said Roger.

"So he's still thinking about that," remarked Jessica.

"No kidding," replied Roger. 

"Thinking of what?" asked Koichi.

"The LA massacre," replied Jessica. "Many humans and Toons still have grudges against anime Toons because of that. It happened about fifteen years ago..."

No one knew what could possibly have drove them to such violence, but one day late in the summer of 1990, several anime Toons went on a rampage of devastating proportions in LA. Some believed they were random thugs who, by sheer coincidence, all went on a crime spree at around the same time. Others believed these anime Toons to have working for a larger criminal organization. Whatever their reason, their acts caused immense damage to LA, parts of which were still being repaired more than ten years after the fact. The deaths at the hands of these anime Toons and the subsequent riots numbered in the thousands. Not one of the anime Toons survived to shed light on their motivations as all had died during the attempts to stop them.

That day, a muscular, spiky-haired man sauntered down the street. He was a Saiyan, a member of this devastatingly powerful race of warriors featured on Dragonball Z. This man arrogantly marched down the street with a sack of loot slung over his shoulder. Crowds of people fled before this monster while behind him was a wake of destruction the likes of which no one had ever seen. Behind were ruptured fire hydrants, violently torn from the ground, gushing water endlessly into the sky like a fountain. Cars laid abandoned and smashed to pieces, reduced to nothing more than flaming wrecks. The streets were cracked and the homes for the people of LA were reduced to smouldering rubble.

"That's horrible," remarked Koichi, now seated, listening to Jessica's tale.

"I was lucky to be in Toontown at the time," admitted Jessica. "The Valiants hid in our mansion to escape the rioters. It was awful. The only thing that was just as bad was what happened to Toontown over a month ago."

"I can see why Toons and humans would hate us," said Koichi. "That's why we need to stop Omnipotence quickly. If they continue to attack the Toons, more people will die needlessly."

"I know," said Jessica. "If Eddie hadn't stopped Doom, Toontown would not be here today."

"If he could save Toontown like you said, I know he can save us from Omnipotence," said Koichi. 

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:   
#2 Tengou, The Star of Conflagration: Lacus Clyne (Gundam Seed)   
#23 Tenbi, The Lowly Star: Murrue Ramius (Gundam Seed)  
#32 Tenrou, The Goal Star: Kira Yamato (Gundam Seed)  
#33 Tensui, The Star of Intelligence: Flay Alster (Gundam Seed)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#57 Chijyu, The Beast Star: Joe Kido (Digimon)  
#75 Chiri, The Star of Justice: Meilin Li (Cardcaptors)   
#77 Chigaku, The Star of Music: Madison Taylor (Cardcaptors)  
#81 Chikei, The Halted Star: Mu La Flaga (Gundam Seed)  
#82 Chima, The Devil Star: Takato & Guilmon (Digimon Tamers)  
#94 Chihei, The Smooth Star: Amon (Witch Hunter Robin)  
#103 Chisou, The Strong Star: Cagalli Athha (Gundam Seed)  
#107 Chizoku, The Thieving Star: Rouge the Bat (Sonic X)  
#108 Chikou, The Dog Star: Tory Avalon (Cardcaptors)

Spotlight: Gundam (Seed)

Gundam Seed follows the events of an epic Cosmic Era conflict known as the Bloody Valentine War. This conflict consisted of two opposing factions, the Earth Alliance and space-based ZAFT. This conflict began on Valentine's Day with the Alliance firing a nuclear weapon at the Junius Seven space colony, massacring nearly a quarter million Coordinators in the process. This event became known as the Bloody Valentine Tragedy. One young Coordinator, Kira Yamato, is caught up in the war, joining it on the Alliance side initially. Athrun Zala, however, ended up fighting the same war on the ZAFT side, putting the two friends into conflict.

Origin:  
The Gundam series consists of many individuals from different timelines. Those who have joined the war against Omnipotence are from the Cosmic Era. Most of the people of the Cosmic Era are ordinary humans, making them stand out in a group like the Stars of Destiny. The first Coordinator to ever exist, George Glenn, was the one who revealed the genetically manipulating process to bring Coordinators into the world. Ironically, it led to a major rift between Natural and Coordinators, who made up the ranks of the Earth Alliance and ZAFT respectively. 

Powers:  
In the Cosmic Era, most humans are Naturals, those who have not been altered genetically. The others are Coordinators, who have undergone the scientific processes to improve their physical and mental performance. Most powers in the Cosmic Era are grounded in scientific law. Their most notable technology is the mobile suit, walking biped war machines. They are capable of space travel, but have yet to develop any method to exceed the speed of light. Ki and magic powers are only found in visiting outsiders. Those who can use magic and ki, as well as those strong in psionics are called "Supernaturals" because of their strange, alien powers.

However, some people have been observed to have subtle psionic abilities. These people are called Newtypes, a term borrowed from another timeline called the Universal Century. They have an uncanny spatial awareness to the point of being a sixth sense and can even see briefly into the future. Newtypes can sense others of their kind and some are even telepathic and psychokinetic. Whenever Newtypes sense danger or another Newtype, a white "bolt" flashes before their eyes.

Another psionic power is the Superior Evolutionary Element Destined factor, or SEED factor. People who have it can enter into a special mode that increases their reflexes and ability to process information. This is usually triggered by a strong resolve on the part of the user during battle. When a person enters into the SEED mode, they briefly see a jewel-like seed that explodes into a nova. Their irises dilate and their pupils contract.


	13. Rise of the 108 Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Rise of the 108 Story, part 3: Valiance Rising **

With Eddie having given his approval, the army could move on to the next step. Eddie's android body was an anime spitting image of his original, flesh and blood one. It was basically a shell, one that was meant to encase a reanimated skeleton bearing his spirit. The last step, obviously, was to reanimate Eddie's bones. The problem was that the army did not have Eddie's remains yet. In addition, Eddie wanted the same procedure done to Dolores, his wife, so that she could see the world that came a decade after their deaths. Thus, the army had to acquire the bones directly from their graves.

Since the mortuary in charge of Eddie's cemetery had been destroyed in the Omnipotence attack, they were unable to contact anyone to perform the exhumation for them. Thus, the only to acquire Eddie and Dolores' remains was to go to the graveyard and dig them up by hand. However, now was a dangerous time to perform such an important, yet dangerous mission. The Toons had become very antagonistic towards anime Toons because of Omnipotence's framing terrorist attack against Toontown. This exhumation would certainly be viewed negatively by the Toons if it was discovered. It would add fuel to the flames of an already intense situation, but that was a risk that the army had to take. It needed Eddie's leadership.

One dark, lonely night, the army made its move on Valiant Cemetery. Several of their agents hid in various locations within and around the cemetery as lookouts and support. On Kakashi's instruction, his students leapt into the trees of a forest at the south-eastern corner of the cemetery. Trunks walked down the street to a nearby convenience store and entered to purchase some snacks. Koichi, as Duskmon, leapt from rooftop to rooftop and dropped into an alleyway, magically blending into the darkness to remain hidden. Once all the lookouts were in place, a small shuttle quietly landed on a road at the base of the hill. 

Anna and Faust exited the shuttle escorted by Yoh and a dozen of Faust's skeletons. The Shaman surrounded Eddie's grave, where Anna held out her beads to summon Eddie and Dolores' spirits. Eddie and Dolores' spirits answered her summons. "Eddie, we're at your grave. We're going to dig out your body," reported Faust. 

"Okay, okay, make it quick," said Eddie, eager to get this distasteful mission completed quickly.

The skeletons toiled diligently under Faust's command, tirelessly performing such menial labour. Shovel after shovel of dirt piled up beside the Shamans until one of the skeletons struck something hard in the soil. After clearing the dirt, Eddie's casket was plain to see for everyone around. They opened the casket and revealed Eddie's remains to be within as expected. All that remained of the great detective was his bones, covered by dust and the jewellery he wore when he was buried. The skeletons closed the casket and dug out a ramp where they could move the casket out.

The skeletons filled in the grave with the dirt while others loaded the casket into the shuttle. "Okay, one down, one to go," remarked Faust. "So far so good…" 

"Hurry up. This isn't exactly a picnic you know..." commented Dolores.

"We're going as fast as we can," said Anna.

During the digging, an unnoticed man spotted the Shaman and the skeletons digging the graves. He hid behind a gravestone and watched the skeletons dig out Dolores' casket. He snuck away and called the police with a payphone on the street. Within moments, the Shaman heard a siren loudening with its approach to the grave. Red lights flickered over the horizon as police cars descended on the cemetery. "Oh no, they're found us!" remarked Faust.

"Hurry up!" Eddie insisted.

The police attempted to open the gates, only to find that they had been welded shut. Unable to enter the cemetery, the police surrounded the grounds to ban any exit outside. They tapped into the intercom system to deliver an ultimatum to the grave robbers. "We have you surrounded. Come out with your hands up!"

Outside, the police heard of no response from the Shaman within as they accelerated their efforts to dig out Dolores' remains. As the police attempted to fly in on choppers, vines lashed out from trees underneath, latching onto the helicopters. Try as they might, the pilots couldn't shake their vehicles free of the vines. The vines dragged the vehicles towards the ground, where a small fairy sprinkled traces of magical light that put the occupants into a deep sleep. "Unit 54, please respond!" came an officer's status request over the radio. With the pilots asleep, no one responded. 

Seeing that the grave robbers were hostile and possessed supernatural powers, the police prepared to storm the cemetery. However, like with their helicopters, strange forces served to impede them once again. The ground underneath their feet turned into a soft sand which gave out under their feet. Their cars, armoured transports, and other vehicles sank into the ground, trapped in a sea of shifting sand. Several officers sank waist deep into the ground, unable to free themselves as the sand hardened around them. Others scrambled to escape the pit of quicksand that had devoured them and their vehicles.

"This is ridiculous!" cursed an officer. "Call the Justice League!"

Through the sky, Superman soared eastward towards the cemetery to respond to the police's calls for assistance. From the east came an archer in green and his gorgeous female partner. The archer was dressed much like Robin Hood from the fables, only with a much greener, Superhero-styled uniform. His name was Oliver Queen, also known as the Green Arrow, a most fitting name for someone dressed like Robin Hood. His lovely partner, a blonde in tight fitting stockings, was Dinah Lance, also known as the Black Canary for her deadly voice. 

However, Superman would not make it to the cemetery without incident. Sensing the great power surging within the Man of Steel's body, Trunks' Saiyan blood began to boil. He was eager to test his strength against the greatest hero of them all and flew out to confront him. "I need to be somewhere, please don't get in my way," said Superman.

"Ah, but you see, that's the problem," informed Trunks. "I can't let you go any further."

Superman attempted to fly around Trunks, only to have Trunks intercept him once again. "Don't make me angry. This is the last time I'll say this; move out of my way now!" 

"No," replied Trunks. "Turn around now or I will make you turn around!"

Superman made a second attempt to pass by Trunks, who moved to intercept once again. Trunks shoved Superman back, an act which the Man of Steel viewed as rude. He shoved Trunks back, who responded in kind, pushing harder than the first time. This prompted Superman to attempt to force his way through, to which Trunks responded by tackling him to the ground. Since neither side was willing to back down, the fists began to fly. Superman, now irate at Trunks' interference, threw a punch, connecting with Trunks' jaw. He attempted a second punch, only this time, Trunks caught his arm and flipped him onto his back in a martial arts style throw that punched a crater into the pavement. 

The Green Arrow and the Black Canary made their way through the forest in an attempt to reach the grave robbers deeper in. With the exception of the Superman-Trunks fight, all seemed quiet. A few seconds of wandering the Green Arrow sensed danger approaching. "Get down!" he cried, tackling Black Canary to the ground before she could even utter a word. A trio of kunai knives impaled the nearby tree, narrowly missing their intended targets. "We've got company!"

A horde of Naruto clones pounced on the duo, who fought back with equal ferocity. One by one, the Green Arrow let arrows rip into the clones, which vanished in puffs of smoke immediately upon being struck. The Canary screamed at top of her lungs, sending a powerful sonic shockwave which destroyed the rest. A trio of Sakuras charged the duo, who turned their fire onto the clones. Green Arrow fired an arrow into one of the Sakuras only to have the arrow pass through her like a ghost. Black Canary kicked one of the other Sakuras, but to surprise, her foot ended up passing through the Sakura clone like it was air.

"Illusions," muttered Green Arrow.

"The real ones have to be near by," said Black Canary.

From the treetops, emerged Sasuke, who shot off a flurry of hand signs for a jutsu. Taking a deep breath, he blew out several gouts of flames as hard as he could. Green Arrow sensed the fireballs coming and dove behind a tree for cover. He shot off a volley of arrows at Sasuke, forcing him to flee to safety in the treetops. "They're just kids," remarked Green Arrow. "Watch out! They're in the trees!"

"Well they sure don't fight like them," observed Black Canary, as she entered into an exchange of punches and kicks with Kakashi. "These guys are like ninjas."

"I guess that explains the funny looking knives and the illusions," said Green Arrow, firing off more arrows at Naruto.

Black Canary threw a kick at Kakashi, who dodged the attack with smooth grace. He threw a kick of his own, which the Black Canary blocked. She caught his foot and swept his other leg from under him. Kakashi rolled along the ground and flipped up to a vertical stance and prepared to attack. However, the Black Canary was one step ahead of him, letting lose a deafening Canary Cry at the ninja. The sonic shockwave rumbled the ground and blew fierce winds at Kakashi. Arms covering his ears, he braced himself as the cry wore down on him.

Meanwhile, the battle between Trunks and Superman raged on. The Man of Steel tackled the young half-Saiyan in the stomach, crashing through the side of a nearby hotel. Bricks and cement went tumbling to the street below. Trunks kicked his enemy off of his body, sending him crashing up through several floors and through the roof. When Superman recovered, he dodged an incoming ki blast which exploded with deafening nuclear force. He swooped in to deck Trunks across the chin. Trunks went crashing through several floors until he hit the ground. The now dangerously unstable hotel came crashing down and buried the half-Saiyan in rubble.

Superman landed beside the rubble to ascertain the fate of his adversary. A dusty Trunks bust his way out of the rubble, showing that he was not about to quit the battle. "What does it take to keep this guy down?" wondered Superman mentally.

From the expression on Trunks' face, he almost seemed to be enjoying himself. To most people, it would seem strange, but most people didn't understand the ways of the Saiyan people. To them, fighting was one of life's greatest pleasures. Saiyans loved to fight more than anything else and Trunks had inherited this love through his blood. "That was a good warm up. Let's go for round two," dared Trunks.

"I've wasted too much time with you," muttered Superman, who proceeded to take a deep breath.

Blowing as hard as he could, Superman created hurricane force winds just with his mouth. He chilled the air to such at an extent that the temperature reached dangerously low, sub-zero levels. Traces of frost formed on the street, followed by hardened ice. Trunks braced himself as the fierce, icy winds froze a thin coating of ice around him. Following up on his advantage, Superman blasted Trunks with a sudden burst of heat vision at maximum intensity. Trunks continued to weather the onslaught as best he could.

"Trunks, we're done. We've got Eddie and Dolores' remains, it's time to leave," came Tails' voice over his radio. 

"Okay," replied Trunks, who then turned to Superman. "Well, it's been nice fight but I have a ride to catch."

Trunks unleashed a burst of power, breaking his way free from Superman's heat vision. He focused his rage and anger to channel great amounts of power through his being. His hair turned a brilliant gold and began to stand on end as though raised by static electricity. His eyes became as green as emeralds. An aura of golden energy surrounded his body. Superman could feel the sheer power radiating from Trunks he ascended to Super Saiyan. In an instant, Trunks vanished, only to reappear before the Man of Steel. Before Superman could even react, he was taking a punch to the gut.

Trunks pressed the advantage, pummelling the Man of Steel with everything he could muster. He threw dozens upon dozens of punches which Superman simply could not stop. As Superman stumbled backwards, overwhelmed by this sudden increase of power, Trunks delivered one last kick to the Man of Steel. Superman crashed through an abandoned hotel, bringing the entire structure crashing down on top of him. With Superman down, Trunks shut off his Super Saiyan powers and soared off to meet Tails and the Blue Typhoon.

Meanwhile, the Canary Cry continued to wear down on Kakashi's defences. Just when it seemed that this attack would overwhelm him, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke leaving behind a log in his place. This event surprised Black Canary, causing her to drop her guard long enough for Kakashi to pounce on her by surprise. He connected with a hard kick to the back of her head, knocking her flat on her face. It reduced her to lying on the ground writhing in a daze. As Kakashi went to check on Green Arrow, he found that his students had already taken care of him. The archer was lying on the ground unconscious on the ground surrounded by four Naruto clones.

"Kakashi, we're done. It's time to leave," ordered Tails.

The ninjas slinked through the forest away from the site of their battle. Once other Justice Leaguers arrived to help, the ninjas and the other cemetery lookouts were long gone. A black man in a black spandex uniform, which turned green at the shoulders, emerged above the forest. On his chest was the symbol of an abstract green lantern made from the Roman numeral for two with a circle in the centre instead of lines. This man was John Stewart, also known by his Superhero alter ego of Green Lantern. His ring scanned the area like a green spotlight until it detected signs of life obstructed behind trees. When he went to investigate, he found the sprawled bodies of Green Arrow and Black Canary on the ground. 

Green Lantern checked the pulse of his comrades. "I found Green Arrow and Black Canary. They're alive but unconscious. I'll need the medical team to come and check out their condition." 

Elsewhere, Wonder Woman descended on the massive pile of rubble that had buried Superman. As she pulled the building's remains away, she freed Superman enough so that he could bust out on his own power. "Superman, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," replied the Man of Steel. "...But that anime Toon got away. I couldn't stop him."

* * *

When the Blue Typhoon landed on the army's headquarters, the skeletons immediately burst out of the doorway. "Clear the way, clear the way!" cried Faust as he followed behind the skeletons. They ran down the boarding bridge rushing the coffins as though they were going to the emergency room.

They burst into a Japanese, temple-like chamber lit only by candles. The room had an eerie, otherworldly feel around it as befitted its connection to the world of spirits. Waiting in the room was Dr. Eggman and Anna Kyoyama, making the last preparations for the ritual to bring Eddie and Dolores' spirits back to the mortal plane. Dr. Eggman ran diagnostics on the android bodies while Anna recited a prayer for relaxing the borders between worlds. With Faust's arrival, it was time to begin. Faust opened the coffins and began to chant words in an alien language. The remains of the Eddie and Dolores glowed with aura of violet light.

With Faust's necromantic preparations complete, Dr. Eggman placed the bones within the open android bodies. These bodies were like shells with a tangled web of wires running within in them. His gloved hands moved with precision as he began to wire the bones to the android's locomotive systems. His doctor's fact mask did little to hide the sweat that came from performing such a delicate operation. After an hour of work, Dr. Eggman connected the last wire to the Eddie's bones. He closed the body and waited for the next phase of the operation.

Anna proceeded to recite a prayer in Japanese, holding her beads above the new bodies of Dolores and Eddie. As she chanted, a faint but noticeable chill seemed to fall over the room. An ethereal presence filled the room as Eddie and Dolores made the transition from the afterlife to the mortal plane. The androids seemed to glow with blue ectoplasm as the ghosts descended into the androids. When the chanting reached its peak, Anna slumped over, fatigue from such a great exertion of spiritual energy. Faust rushed over to prop her up.

"Are okay Anna?" he asked.

"I fine, just tired," she replied. "I'm finished. Eddie and Dolores are in their new bodies."

True to Anna's words, the androids began to stir and arose from the table. Eddie raised an arm up to his face to feel his new body. Dr. Eggman gave him a hand mirror for him to look at himself. "Wow, its me, only I'm a Toon now," he commented.

"An anime Toon," correct Dr. Eggman.

Dolores looked over her body as Eddie. "So is this what it's like to be a Toon. I've always wondered what being a Toon would be like. I guess I can have an anvil fall on my head and not feel a thing."

"Not quite," warned Faust. "It doesn't quite work that way with anime Toons. If an anvil falls on your head, you won't be walking away like nothing happened, assuming of course that you survive it in the first place."

"Now that I'm back, what's the deal with this army you're all making?" asked Eddie.

"Eddie!" cried Roger as he plastered himself against Eddie's face and began kissing it.

"Mgggh, Roger, Roger, okay! Calm down. I'm glad to see you too!"

"Mr. Valiant?" said Folken, as shook Eddie's hand. "I'm Folken Fanel. I'll be your strategist and advisor while you lead our army against Omnipotence." 

"Pleased to meet you, er Vulcan," said Eddie. 

"Folken," replied Folken.

"You know, I think calling ourselves an army is very, what's the word, blah," commented Dolores. "We should get a better name that just 'the army.'"

"What did you have in mind?" asked Folken.

Within moments, Eddie addressed the Stars of Destiny and their allies on TV. "...I was brought back to help you bring Omnipotence to justice. After talking to you, I can tell that you've been given a bad rap by the Toons. Don't worry because you've got yourself a friend in me. Yet, all this time, you don't even have a name for yourself. I think I'll give you one. From now on, we will be called 'Valiance,' an army of the brave and the courageous. Today is the day we make Omnipotence cry!" Eddie's moving speech brought a raucous chorus of clapping and cheering by Valiance members. Eddie's inauguration was a day that would live on in infamy for the terrorists of Omnipotence.

As the next days passed by, Eddie and Dolores became acquainted with Valiance's headquarters. What was once an empty field filled with crumbling ruins contained a small but thriving town of various peoples, both human and not. At the centre of the headquarters was the main office of Valiance, the dome-like command centre for the entire operation. This was where Folken worked and also where the various members of Valiance received their orders and briefings. Travelling southward in Benny the Cab, they came upon several clusters of domes separate from the main headquarters. This was where soldiers of the army stayed while they were training for operations against Omnipotence.

There was another cluster to the east where the actual training took place. These buildings had various roles such as storehouses for equipment, weapons, and hangars for vehicles like aircraft and mecha. Kakashi demonstrated the hand signs for a new jutsu to his students at a tree some distance from the road. Aquilamon spiralled winds into a great sideways tornado which blew down several mechanical practice dummies. Sakura, Shaoran, and friends sat under a tree listening to a lesson on magic from Clow Reed. Piccolo threw punches into the air to demonstrate a martial arts technique, which an assembly of soldiers mimicked.

"They sure mean business," remarked Eddie. "They really are getting ready for a war."

"That's right, Mr. Valiant, Omnipotence's attack on Toontown has showed us that they aren't playing around. They mean business, serious business. Your presence here has inspired the troops to redouble their training," admitted Folken. "Even some of the Toon refugees have decided to join us after hearing you would lead us."

"My, my, Eddie, you've sure a raised a storm with your comeback," snickered Dolores.

"Yeah, you said it, but I don't even know half the guys who are working for me," said Eddie. "Well, except you, Floken..."

"Folken, Folken Fanel," corrected Folken. "As you know, anime is Japanese animation. You've already met Anna, Faust, and Dr. Eggman."

"Yeah, it's a damn pain trying to remember all those strange names you have. It's even harder trying to pronounce some of them. Why can't you all have simple names like 'Mickey Mouse' or 'Donald Duck?'" said Eddie.

"Well, not all anime are meant to be comedic. Our audience is more of one that likes to see and hear a coherent narrative. What I mean is that they watch anime for the story. Take me, for example. You may not know it, but I am a prince. I was in line for the throne of my kingdom. Before I could ascend to the throne, I had to complete a quest to prove myself worthy. I had to kill a dragon and return with its heart." Folken showed Eddie and Dolores his mechanic arm. "I not only lost my quest, I lost an arm as well. It was then I met a great man named Dornkirk and entered into his service. He introduced science to the people of Zaibach, his followers, and went on to become their Emperor. I still serve him today."

"Damn," said Eddie. "Things were so much simpler in my time."

"That's not where my story ends though," said Folken. "Our nation eventually went to war to bring the gifts Dorkirk bestowed upon us and to be the ushers of a new era of peace in the world of Gaea. This war ended up pitting me against my brother, who had become king in my stead." 

"Who won the war?" asked Dolores.

"At first, we thought we did. We successfully set what up was known as a Zone of Absolute Fortune. Within it, we thought peace would reign throughout Gaea. Within it, everyone could have everything without want or need. Yet, instead of peace, it only led to more fighting and bloodshed. With Zaibach's armies defeated, our enemies turned on each other! We were baffled. We were stunned. We were wondering how this could have happened. We thought we had made an error in our technology but that wasn't the problem."

"So what was the problem?" asked Dolores.

"We racked our minds trying to figure that out. It took some deep soul searching before we realized what had gone wrong. The problem wasn't our technology, it was in the human element, the hearts and minds of the people. We couldn't force them to live in peace, no matter what we did. The only way peace would ever come to Gaea is if people wanted it. Realizing our failure, we shut down the Zone of Absolute Fortune before it could do any more damage and negotiated with our enemies. It was only then did Gaea return to peace."

"Whoa, deep," remarked Benny the Cab.

"Who knew you anime Toons could be so complicated," remarked Eddie.

"You haven't even talked to some of the others at our base. Many of them have similarly epic tales of their experiences in wars and conflicts. Anime Toons may be images on a screen, but at the end of the day, they are people. They may have bizarre powers or look strange, but they're still people, thrown into the most extraordinary circumstances. Anime is as varied as the characters that act in it. Our champions resist Omnipotence, doing so because of the experiences they have had in their lifetimes."

Benny pulled up beside Valiance's mess hall, which a patio filled with conversing customers. "Here's our stop."

* * *

In the space around the Valiance home world, a great red mobile suit soared through the vast reaches of the void. "Aegis, please report," commanded Cagalli over the radio.

"This is the Aegis, there is no sighting of anything out of the ordinary," reported Athrun.

At that moment, a flicker of light flashed through the void of darkness. A great nimbus of swirling energy opened from which a ship burst out from the other side. The ship appeared to be a small cargo craft for hauling supplies from location to location. It was a sleekly designed craft painted in blue with a bullet-like chassis. It technological level was very high, as the craft was armed with mostly energy-based weapons. However, since this craft was meant for transporting good, it was relatively lightly armed, having only about three different cannons. The craft had suffered very severe damage, with blast marks dotting nearly everywhere on the side of the craft.

"Wait, a cargo craft has entered our space interdimensionally!" reported Athrun. "The craft appears to be of Abh origin. I'm transmitting a video now."

A static filled transmission came over the radio. "SOS, SOS, this is the cargo ship Courier. Our craft has sustained heavy damage. We request assistance as soon as possible." 

"Courier, this is the mobile suit Aegis," introduced Athrun. "You have entered restricted space. Your ship will be captured and impounded. Lower your shields and cut off your engines."

Athrun transformed the Aegis into its sleek mobile armour mode and clamped its claws around the cargo ship. The Aegis sped back towards its mother ship, the Kusanagi, which released a small troop transport to meet it. After scanning the craft for anomalies, the transport attached a retractable tunnel which a boarding party used to breach the other ship. The cargo craft's occupants, a teenaged boy and a teenaged girl, raised their hands in surrender as the soldiers trained guns on them. After a thorough search for weapons, the soldiers led the two back to their craft, while the Aegis moved the ship back to the Kusanagi.

The two passengers were led back to the Shrine of the Stars where Folken led their questioning intently. The first of the two passengers was a teenaged boy, barely old enough to begin shaving, with chestnut hair. The young boy had a look of wide-eyed innocence about him. His female companion was far different. She had an enduring, elven beauty about her that made her seem far more alien than her friend. Unlike him, she was blue of hair and fair of skin. Both appeared to be intergalactic teamsters due to the soiled brown jumpsuits they wore, but looks were one thing that tended to be deceiving.

With the girl seated alone on a stool, Folken commenced his interrogation. "Who are you and where do you come from?"

"I am Lafiel Abriel, Viscountess of Parhyn of the Blue Stars," replied the girl.

Folken paused a moment to absorb Lafiel's answer. "Tell me 'Lafiel,' why have you come here? This is a restricted area. Why are you here?"

"We need your help. A group of rebels have taken control of the Empire through a coup d'etat. We are losing ground daily. If this keeps up, we're finished. We barely made it here alive to tell you this. Please, you must help us!"

"Even if what you say is true, what makes you think we're are going to involve ourselves?" asked Folken. "Your civil war is an internal matter. We have no reason to get involved."

"No reason? Not even if I were to tell you that Omnipotence is backing the rebels?" asked Lafiel. Lafiel's revelation raised Folken's eyebrows. "Yes, we know all about you, about Valiance and Omnipotence as well. That is why we came to you. You are in the best position to help us." 

"Interesting... So what evidence is there to back up your claims?"

"Omnipotence is providing the rebels with weapons. We have acquired records that will serve as evidence of everything I've told you. We have police reports of weapons seized from the rebels, records of their transactions, and testimony of arms runners caught by law enforcement agents. Once you see these records, there's no way you can deny Omnipotence's involvement," stressed Lafiel.

"That is all for today," declared Folken. "Guards, please escort Ms. Abriel to her cell, then bring her companion to me."

The guards escorted Lafiel to her cell and returned with her companion. Folken began the questioning immediately, which ultimately went similarly to Lafiel's interrogation. Since both their stories were similar, Folken didn't really learn anything new, other than the boy's identity. The boy's name was Jinto Lynn and he was the Count of Hyde, another solar system in the Blue Stars. Both were fugitives in the Blue Stars fleeing death at the hands of rebels who've initiated a coup d'etat against the Abh royal family. Omnipotence's influence was central to the affair, as they were supporting the rebels and supplying them with weapons.

Later in the night, Folken waited anxiously in his office for Kakashi to answer a summons. "Where could he be?" wondered Folken. A knock came from his office door. "Come in!" The guest turned out to be Kakashi. "Kakashi, where were you? You're late!"

"Sorry sir, I had some business to catch up on," replied the Jounin.

Folken let out a gasp of exasperation. "Well, now that you're here, I have a job for you. Just an hour ago, I interrogated our two prisoners and looked over the data found in their ship's computer. The data corroborates their story, but I want to make certain that this is not an attempt at deception. I would like you and your students to go to the Blue Stars to confirm their stories and find out anything else if you can."

"Of course," replied Kakashi.

"Thank you," said Folken. "Here is a scroll with all of the pertinent information."

Folken handed over a scroll which Kakashi briefly skimmed through. Without saying a word, Kakashi nodded, closed the scroll, and tucked it safely into a pocket within his vest. The Jounin left the office to begin his mission. A week passed before he and Team 7 returned from their mission. Kakashi knocked on the door and entered the office. The Jounin had brought good news, Lafiel and Jinto's story had checked out. They were Abh nobles as they had claimed and were wanted like common criminals by the rebels. Omnipotence was indeed supporting and supplying weapons to the rebels, but their influence went further than what the two knew.

"From our information gathering, it appears Chimera is not just the rebel leader. We have reason to suspect that he may actually be an Omnipotence agent," reported Kakashi. 

"Interesting," remarked Folken. "So Omnipotence has corrupted yet another government."

"However, even though the insurgents are winning, they will require additional resources to keep this advantage. They intend to invade other anime worlds to acquire the supplies they need to fuel their war machine. In order to do so, the insurgents have acquired extra-dimensional travel technology from Omnipotence and intend to hit Alchemic Earth as their first target. They are leading up to a coup d'etat with a campaign of destabilization led by inserted agent provocateurs." 

"If the Abh are beginning to move on territory outside of the Blue Stars, this is a serious threat to the anime worlds. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Kakashi."

"You're welcome."

Meanwhile, Lafiel and Jinto waited in their cell for their fate to be decided by their captors. "I wonder what they're going to do?" asked Jinto.

"I don't know, Jinto," replied Lafiel. "They've got to listen to us, they just have to. We won't make it without their help, not at the rate we're going."

"You know, I look at these people but I can't stop thinking how strange they are," admitted Jinto.

"Strange?"

"Yeah, all these people are so different. They dress different and come from different worlds. Some are human and others are not. Some have special powers, but others are as normal as you or I. They are nothing alike, yet they are all working together to stop Omnipotence. I wonder what kind of enemy they are to have made them join together?"

A set of footsteps echoed along the way to the cell. On closer inspection, the footsteps didn't seem like footsteps at all. They sounded more the like hooves striking the ground, akin to a horse walking at a brisk pace rather than a jackbooted guard. The shadow of the sound's source grew larger as a figure approached; the darkness seemingly shifting out its way to reveal its visage. The figure was not even human, but a muscular centaur augmented by cybernetics. It had bulbous blue growths on its body and a Roman helmet covering its face. The only thing that could be seen through the darkness of that helmet was a single red eye with a burning stare.

The centaur, a Digimon of the species known as Centarumon, began to unlock the cell door. "Okay, the leader wants to speak with you."

The Centarumon led the two prisoners to an office on the top floor of a dome building some distance away. Inside the office, Eddie and Folken discussed Valiance's next move. "Eddie, we have two major tasks on hand," began Folken. "The first is the Abh threat to the anime worlds, which is divided into two parts; supporting the Imperials as they fight the rebellion and repelling invasions on other anime worlds. Already, we have reliable intelligence that Alchemic Earth is the Abh's first target. The second is to..."

Centarumon's voice came over the intercom system. "Sir, I've brought the prisoners here as you've requested."

Folken pressed a button on his end. "Thank you, Saggi. Bring them in."

Within moments, the door swung open as Saggi the Centarumon led the prisoners into the meeting room. Lafiel and Jinto sat on the seats directly across from Eddie. "Hello kids, I'm Eddie Valiant. I've been told you two were the ones who provided us with the information on the Abh-Omnipotence connection."

"Yes sir, that's right," said Jinto.

"We've reviewed your information and appreciate you coming all this way to bring this to our attention. We've decided to help you against the Abh rebels," said Eddie.

"You will?" asked Lafiel.

"That's right," replied Eddie.

"As part of our alliance, you will be our liaison to the Abh imperials," continued Folken. "We'd like to arrange a meeting with your leaders to discuss the situation as soon as possible."

"Thank you, thank you all!" said Lafiel. "I know with your help, we can make it through this." 

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:   
#1 Tenkai, The Chief Star of Heaven: Eddie Valiant (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)  
#8 Teni, The Star of Majesty: Dolores Valiant  
#10 Tenki, The Lofty Star: Lafiel Abriel (Crest of the Stars)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#48 Chikatsu, The Eminent Star: Jinto Lynn (Crest of the Stars)

Spotlight: Crest of the Stars

When Jinto Lynn was a young boy, the Abh laid siege to his home planet of Martine with the intent of conquering it. His father, Rock Lynn, a prominent politician, took it upon himself to surrender the planet to the elven invaders rather than risk a bloody war. As part of the deal, Lynn became leader of the Hyde solar system and by extension, his son became his heir. Now an Abh by title, Jinto was sent to military academy for training, meeting Lafiel on the way there. During this time, the Abh's rivals, the Four Nation Alliance, attacked their ship, forcing them to escape to warn the capital. 

Origin:  
The term Abh can refer to the nobility or more commonly, the elven Abh race. The Abh race is actually a product of genetic engineering. They were once a race bred for the purposes of space travel, but have long since overthrown their masters. Now, they have built the largest empire in the universe, which continues to expand even into the present day. Though rulers of great amounts of territory, they prefer to make their home in the stars. Those who are nobility among the conquered, like Jinto, become Abh by title and are forced into military service.

Powers:  
The Blue Stars, the world of Crest of the Stars, is a world steeped in scientific law. The other power types, ki, magic, and psionics, only exist in foreigners visiting this world. The Abh have ships capable of travelling faster than light with weapons to match. The Abh maintain the purity of their race through genetic engineering. Those born into nobility, like Jinto's future children, are required to undergo genetic treatments which cause them to gain Abh traits. Unlike humans, Abh have a special sensory organ on their forehead which they join to their ships via cable. This bond gives them a great ability to process information related to their ship's status.


	14. Invasion of the Abh Story, part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Invasion of the Abh Story, part 1: Detective Elric **

A new day dawned on the nation of Amestris, one of the pre-eminent nations of Alchemic Earth. The spitting image of pre-war Germany, the buildings of Central City were a throwback to a day long gone in the real Earth's history. Vintage cars drove along the road while trains pulled into local stations to deposit passengers. For such a quaint world, the people were happy and had a quality of life rivalling those of more advanced civilizations. Those who lived in the Alchemic Earth practiced the art of its namesake, alchemy. Though seen as witchcraft by some witnesses, alchemy was a science to its practitioners, with specific rules and logic to its application. 

From one of these trains emerged a motley pair of brothers. The first of the two seemed to tower over the other, clad in his suit of knight's armour. It had a fearsome appearance due in no small part to the spikes on its joints and its massive girth. The bizarre face of the suit seemed animate, seemingly taking on the emotions its wearer as he experienced them. The other brother was the smaller of the two, a young blond boy in his mid teens. As this boy moved around, the sleeve of his red jacket slid away far enough to reveal a prosthetic right arm made from metal.

"Hey Al, did the Colonel mention why he needed to see me so badly?" asked the smaller brother, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist of the State. 

"No," replied the armoured brother, Alphonse Elric. "He just told you to see him as soon as possible and that it was urgent."

Ed sighed. "What could he want with me so badly?"

"Ed! Al!" cried a beautiful blonde girl as she came to meet the Elric brothers.

"Winry!" said Ed as she approached.

"Hi guys, you're back pretty early," said Winry.

"Yeah, the Colonel called me in for an urgent matter. I have to go meet him now. Al, why don't you keep Winry company? I'll catch you two later."

Al and Winry walked back to Winry's shop in Central while Ed went to meet his commanding officer. Ed walked down the street until he came upon the most regal building in all of Central City. A brick and mortar structure, it was the central headquarters for the state's military. Ed stood before his commanding officer, one Colonel Roy Mustang, waiting for his orders. "Ah, hello Fullmetal, just the person I was looking for."

"What was so urgent that you had to call me all the way back from East City?" asked Ed.

"Yes, straight to the point..." Colonel Mustang opened a file containing the picture of three military personnel. "The man in the centre is Second Lieutenant Alan Schwartz, also known as the Black Alchemist. He has gone missing for over a month now. We've sent Second Lieutenants Amy Wolf and Harold Stone to search for him in his last known location, the city of Lior, but they too have gone missing."

"So you want me to find them, is that right?" asked Ed.

"Yeah, you catch on quick, Fullmetal. We've already assigned Lieutenant Colonel Hughes to the job. We feel that he will need your help due to the mysterious circumstances of the disappearances. With the current situation in Ishbal, we can't spare anyone else to assist him other than you." 

"So, where should I meet Hughes?"

"Hughes will be waiting for you at the Central City train station. Please do not keep him waiting. Dismissed!"

Ed left the military headquarters and walked back to Winry's Automail shop in Central City. The shop was known simply as "Winry Automail" and had facilities and mechanics to install the Automail on site. In the storefront window was a mannequin constructed entirely of Automail, mechanical prosthetics for amputees. On display on shelves around the room were sample Automail limbs as well as brochures extolling the virtues of Automail. At the moment, Winry was conversing with Al, who turned to Ed as he came into the shop.

"So what's up?" asked Al.

Ed let out an ennui-filled sigh. "The Colonel sent us on another mission. He said we have to go to Lior to investigate some missing State alchemists. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes will be coming with us. He's waiting for us to meet him at the station. Let's go Al."

"Sorry Winry, we have to leave now," said Al disappointed.

"Sure, take care you two," said Winry.

The Elric brothers moved out to the train station where they were to meet their comrade for the mission. Leaning against a wall was a man in jackboots and the blue uniform of the Amestrian military. The man had scruffy hair on and under his chin and watched the passengers come on and off the train through a pair of glasses with rectangular lenses. When the man spotted the Elric brothers entering the station, he rushed up to greet them. "Oh hi Ed, let me show you the finger painting my Elysia made for me yesterday."

Hughes pulled out a finger painting snapped by an alchemically created camera. Ed grimaced as he saw the trails of orange, red, and blue on the picture. "That's great Lieutenant Colonel," said Ed, playing along with Hughes.

"Yeah, she's really growing up now," remarked Hughes. "Anyways, let's get down to business. We're here to investigate the disappearance of three State alchemists. I'm sure Colonel Mustang briefed you on the details?" 

"Yeah, he did," replied Ed.

"Good," remarked Hughes. "Call it a hunch, but my instincts tell me that there is some foul play involved in these disappearances. We should be careful."

The investigators boarded the next train bound for the city of Lior, where they would begin their investigations. The city of Lior was a largely backwater town in the nation of Amestris. It was far to the east of the Central City in the hot, desert wastelands. The investigators passed by the great temple of the city, a stone building with the statue of a muscular sun god in a toga before it. The bearded god was crowned by a circlet pointed like the sun itself. The Elrics and Hughes checked into the military headquarters for the region as their base of operations.

There, they inquired about Schwartz' last mission before disappearing. "Alan was investigating a man known as Amir al-Zayn. Schwartz' investigation revealed that Zayn had been purchasing abnormally large quantities of Red Water from various sources. We have yet to discover his reason for doing so. Just before he disappeared, Schwartz was heading to meet an informant named Hassan bin Kabal. When Stone and Wolf went to meet the informants themselves, they disappeared too." 

"So we have our first lead," remarked Hughes. "Where is this Hassan bin Kabal?"

"You can reach him by talking with the owner of the Mocha Latte coffee shop. Tell him you are having coffee with Kabal."

Following the lead from their headquarters, Ed and his companions searched the town for the Mocha Latte shop. Their search led them to a wooden store with a Middle-Eastern motif. The sign above the doorway displayed a mug filled with steaming hot coffee. As the investigators entered, the strong scent of coffee filled their nostrils. There were a few people inside, eating the small, quickly prepared sandwiches and desserts served by the shop as they drank a variety of coffee blends. At the back was an unassuming Middle-Eastern man with greying hair and a greying black beard. As the cafe's owner, he was tending his shop.

"Hello, is a Hassan bin Kabal here? We're here to meet him for coffee," requested Hughes.

"Sure, wait in the back," said the owner. "There are some chairs if you want to sit."

The investigators entered a solitary room in the back. The dimly lit room was a storage area used to store spare chairs, tables, and covering cloth. They seated around the table and waited. The owner entered the room five minutes later with coffee for Hassan's guests. Another five minutes passed before Hassan actually showed himself. He was a jovial man with a curly beard and bronzed skin. He was in a white skull cap and a white robe that reached all the way to his legs. The man seemed to be fairly religious in lifestyle due to his choice of clothing. This man was Hassan bin Kabal.

"So you're with the state military?" asked Hassan.

"Yeah," replied Hughes. "We'd like to know about Alan Schwartz. Why did he want to speak to you?" 

"Keep your voice down!" warned Hassan. "Yes, Alan wanted to know about Amir al-Zayn. He was trying to find out why al-Zayn was buying so much Red Water. I'm not sure if you know this as State alchemists, but Red Water is often used by alchemists to create false Philosopher's Stones. It is a highly toxic substance." 

"Yeah, we know that already," replied Ed. "Do you know anything else?"

"Al-Zayn was not the only person buying Red Water. My contacts have observed at least two other people buying this poison as well. After acquiring the Red Water, al-Zayn's men would then resell it to another group."

"Another group? Did you find anything about these people?" asked Hughes. 

"Not much. I only know that they were described as being beautiful people with pale skin and blue hair."

"Pale skin and blue hair?" asked Hughes. That description did not match any race or ethnicity which he knew. "Interesting... Where do they meet to make the exchange?"

"That's the problem. They don't use the same time or location for each of their meetings. It was by fluke that my contacts saw the one exchange they were able to locate. That one took place at the abandoned Polyhelix alchemic plant in the outskirts of town."

* * *

The investigators scoped out the Polyhelix alchemic plant, which had laid unused for nearly four years. The Polyhelix company used alchemy to produce a number of household items and pharmaceuticals. Their products included various types of cleaning agents and medicine for most common ailments. All the investigators could find was a neglected factory covered by cobwebs. The investigators took samples of the local soil and had them tested at the headquarters. When the reports came in, they indicated a faint positive for Red Water contamination. That meant that the soil only had a limited exposure to Red Water for a brief, recent timeframe. 

Despite confirming Hassan's information, it still didn't provide a lead to al-Zayn's location. Later in the day, Ed and his team returned to the headquarters to receive some grisly news. Three bodies suspected of belonging to State alchemists had been discovered in the desert. Upon hearing this, the investigators rushed to check out the site. There, they found several military investigators already milling about in the area, which had been cordoned off by tape and cloth screens. The bodies were at the centre of a crudely dug grave made of sand. The bodies had begun to rot and their faces were no longer recognizable.

The State officers questioned a trader, who had spotted a jackbooted leg jutting from the sand as he passed by with his caravan. When he went to investigate, he recognized the uniform as that of the Amestrian military. When he dug out the leg out of curiosity, the trader was horrified by the appearance of the rotted bodies and called the authorities. When they came, the authorities took control of the area and identified the bodies though the dog tags. They searched the graves and while everything else seemed normal, the authorities could not account for the stopwatches of these Alchemists. All of their other possessions were consistent with what a State Alchemist should carry and were present on their persons.

The authorities eventually moved the bodies to their base, where they were given a routine autopsy. Ed, Al, and Hughes read the report, which detailed the cause of death for these alchemists. They had died from catastrophic, concentrated burns on their internal organs. The coroner theorized that the alchemists were killed due to an intense burst of heat concentrated into a very small point at the back of their heads. The burns were extremely small, indicating that the heat came at them in a straight line from close range. The heat was so intense that it seared through the flesh instantly and destroyed the internal organs.

"Strange, very strange..." remarked Hughes as he read over the reports. "Three State alchemists killed execution-style and are missing their stopwatches..."

"...And a man buying barrels and barrels of Red Water," said Al.

"The alchemists might have gotten too close to an organized criminal operation. It looks like they were killed as part of a cover up," said Ed. He let out a big yawn and looked at the clock, which read 11 o'clock. "I'm too tired to think about this anymore. I'm going to bed." 

"Good night, Ed," said Al.

During the night, Ed tossed and turned as a dream played out within his mind. He found himself somewhere in the uninhabited, sandy wastes in the eastern regions of Amestris. It was late at night and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. The wind picked up and mussed his blond hair and ruffled his jacket. Ed wondered where he was. He looked around and saw that he was near the entrance of a seemingly vacant town. Above this entryway was a curved sign which read "Saladin." After seeing the sign, Ed felt a strong desire to leave the town and enter the desert.

The Fullmetal Alchemist walked several leagues into the vast wastelands under the influence of this strange desire. It was like an unknown force was urging him forward, compelling him to witness something important. He wondered where he was going and what he was searching for. Ed soon got that answer when he came closer to a camp set up at the base of some mountains. Ed hid behind some plants and spied on the soldiers milling about. It seemed to be a camp for a military force of some sort. Their flags were green with a white dragon insignia, which was the flag of Amestris. The soldiers were changing into their uniforms in preparation for a mission.

A trunk pulled into the camp. One of the men went to the back to check out the cargo in the truck. At this moment, a soldier walked through Ed's body like an incorporeal ghost. Ed saw the soldier's body superimposed over his own, an event which freaked him out severely. He froze in fear, thinking that he was a goner and yet, nothing happened. The patrolling guard didn't call for help. He merely continued on his way as though nothing had happened. This strange event emboldened Ed to try to touch the guard. When he did so, his hand passed through as though the guard was a ghost. He chose to take a risk and walk directly into the camp. Just as he suspected, no one noticed him there, not even when they walked directly in front of him.

Ed walked around, scoping out the camp, trying to ascertain what its purpose was. He knew that he was close to something very important. He walked to the trunk to see what the men were doing. A blue-haired foreman in a gas mask unloaded a barrel and opened the lid for an inspector, revealing a red liquid in doing so. It was Red Water. The inspector smiled through his mask, satisfied at the efforts of the foreman. As the foreman returned the barrel, Ed took a peek inside his truck. There must have been at least a dozen barrels of Red Water, enough to make thousands of false Philosopher's Stones.

The next day, Ed, Al, and Hughes found themselves travelling on the train. "Ed, can you tell us where we're we going?" asked Al.

"Yeah, you seem to be in a big hurry," observed Hughes.

"I already told you, we're going to Saladin," replied Ed.

"We know that, but why there?" asked Al.

"You'll see when we get there," replied Ed.

The group took a car, which Hughes drove to the camp site. When they reached the location, they found an Amestrian camp which had been abandoned. This was the same camp from Ed's dreams. Judging by the condition of this camp, the men had only left very recently. "Ed, why did you bring us here?" asked Al. "Does this place have something to do with our investigation?"

"I think so. Look around," ordered Ed.

"You think so? What are we looking for?" asked Hughes.

"Anything, a sign, something out of the ordinary, just find it," said Ed, not wishing to discuss the subject any further.

The three split up and searched around. Not even a minute had passed by before Al discovered something in one of the tents. Ed and Hughes came in to check out the discovery, a strange tarot-like card with a hand-written note attached. The card displayed the picture of a strange woman wearing an eye-covering mitre. The card was entitled "The Dream" along the bottom. The note was addressed to Edward Elric and was signed with the words "a friend." The note told Ed to look directly at the card for three seconds.

Ed did as the note said and once the seconds passed, he gasped as his surroundings warped and twisted into a riverside surrounded by a sparse layer of trees. Al and Hughes were nowhere to be seen and didn't respond to any of Ed's calls. He looked around to get his bearings and spotted the town of Saladin in the distance. The river ran down the side of a hill and directly through the town. Once again, Ed felt himself being pulled towards somewhere unknown. He followed this unexplained urge and found the truck that was in his dream. It was parked near a reservoir at the head of the river with other vehicles which contained pale skinned, blue haired men in Amestrian military uniforms.

The men exited the vehicles and proceeded to unload the barrels. One by one, the men opened the barrels and dumped the Red Water into the reservoir. The toxic brew mixed with the pond and befouled the clean water. "Ed?" asked Al.

Al's voice pulled Ed back to reality. "Huh?" Ed asked puzzled.

"You zoned out there for a moment," said Hughes. "You were staring at the card for over ten minutes. That thing vanished once you came to!"

"Al, Hughes, we have to get to the Saladin reservoir immediately!" declared Ed.

"Again? What's going on?" asked Hughes.

"I'll tell you on the way there," promised Ed.

Hughes took the wheel of their vehicle and sped to the reservoir. "Ed, why are we going to the reservoir?" asked Al.

"Someone's going to poison Saladin's drinking water!" announced Ed. 

"Really? What makes you think that?" asked Hughes. 

"Call it strange but I saw it happen like... a dream. It happened when I looked at that card. It's like someone or something was showing me these images. I think they are telling me to stop it," replied Ed.

"...But what does that have to do with the camp?" asked Al.

"Everything," replied Ed. "The men that are doing this are the same ones Hassan described. They're going to frame Amestris for their crime."

"Frame the State?" asked Al. "Why would they want to do that?" 

"...Because they are spies. If I'm right, then someone wants to drag us and Ishbal into a war. It is likely that they intend to take advantage of the fighting for their own gain. Now that we know this, we can't allow it to happen," informed Hughes.

The car sped along the side of the river that Ed had seen in his visions. Within moments, the trio could see the impostors dead ahead. It was not a moment too soon, since they still hadn't finished unloading their truck. Hughes made an abrupt, skidding stop to the left, aligning the car so as to position it as a shield. The impostors noticed their arrival and opened fire on them. The investigators ducked under the cover of the metal doors. Ed alchemically transmuted the car into a shelter of metal which gave them room to stand. 

Hughes made a sideways glance at through a view hole in the shelter. "Well, now we know what they used to kill the alchemists." Seeing an opening, Hughes tossed a knife at one of the impostors. The impostor ducked behind the side of the truck and returned fire with an energy pistol.

"Yeah, but can we save the jokes for later. We're pinned down here." Ed employed alchemy upon the ground to raise several stone spikes from the earth. Due to his precarious position, he was not able to get a clear shot at his attackers. The spikes trailed down from his hand in a line, but their targets dove away for cover. "Damn! I couldn't get a clear shot. There's too much fire."

Hughes noticed a break in the fire and peeked out to throw a knife. Once again, his intended target hid behind the truck before returning fire. "We saved Saladin but who's going to save us now?"

The enemy kept pouring the pressure upon the state's investigators. One of the female soldiers pulled the pin from a grenade and prepared to throw it. Before she could even do so, a blast of golden energy picked her off, causing the grenade to slip out of her hand. Her comrades cursed as they leapt for dear life, moments before the grenade burst with a deafening bang. The force of the explosion had unintentionally tipped over a few of the Red Water barrels, causing the lids to fly off and the vile poison to spill outwards towards the reservoir.

All of a sudden, the ground rumbled as the earth near the reservoir moved on its own volition. It formed into a neighbouring trench which the Red Water flowed into harmlessly. A blue blur sped into the camp, taking out the nearest target with inhuman speed and then a second one. Knives flew in from unseen locations, picking off two more. A wall of flame skid along the ground, flattening three more of the men. Ed looked around to determine the situation and noticed a man in white wielding what looked like a scythe made of bone surrounded by a violet aura. This man had animated several skeletons to attack the guards and then slashed away at any who threatened him personally. It didn't take long for these unknown attackers to subdue the enemy. 

After securing the location, the attackers gathered the unconscious and dead bodies of their enemies into a pile at the centre of the melee. One of the female members received some instructions from a teenaged boy, who seemed to be the leader of the group. The young woman turned to the Red Water and began to chant words for a magical spell. Glittering points of light snowed onto the poison, purifying the land of its contamination. She used the same powers on her comrades, most likely to remove any traces of poison they may have accidentally come into contact with. The strange powers she was employing did not look like any form of alchemy the Elric brothers had ever seen.

"Okay, you three, you can come out now," said the leading boy. "It's safe."

Ed, Al, and Hughes emerged from their shelter. "Who are you people?" asked Hughes, seeking an explanation.

"We are members of Valiance, an organization devoted to fighting the threat of the Omnipotence terrorist organization," replied Trunks. "These men were here to destabilize your country as a lead up to an invasion."

"How do we know you are not in on it like them?" asked Ed defiantly.

"Enough Ed," said Hughes. "On behalf of the state of Amestris, we'd like to thank you for your assistance. Without your help, we couldn't have stopped these men."

"You're welcome," replied Trunks. "Now, if possible, we'd like to arrange a meeting between our leaders. It is very important that they meet." 

"Hmm... Okay, I'll see if I can pull some strings," replied Hughes.

True to his word, Hughes spoke to his top brass. After some investigation, they proved receptive to his request, a reaction that was coaxed by his success on the Red Water case. His case produced a group of Abh prisoners to interrogate for information, but the Omnipotence agents had been killed by poisoning devices implanted on their hearts. The day of the meeting came with Eddie, Folken, and his bodyguards walking into the Fuhrer's tent. The Fuhrer, King Bradley, was a tanned, square-jawed man of Germanic descent. The charismatic, moustachioed man rose from his seat and extended his hand, which Eddie and Folken shook.

Seated beside each other, Eddie and Folken briefed Bradley on the situation with Omnipotence. "I see, thank you for bringing this to my attention. You'll have the full support of Amestris against any Omnipotence or Abh spies. Unfortunately, the only thing we can provide is intelligence at the moment. We can't spare any of our men other than the Fullmetal Alchemist. Guards, please bring the Fullmetal Alchemist, his brother, and Winry Rockbell here." 

The guards led Ed, Al, and Winry into the Fuhrer's tent. Ed, Al, and Winry kneeled before their leader. "Greetings, your highness. What do you need of me?" asked Ed.

"Come Ed, you need not be so formal around me," replied Bradley. "I have a very special mission for you and Al. Due to the current situation with Ishbal, we can not spare any men to assist Mr. Valiant. That is why you will assist them in our army's stead. Your mission may be the most vital for the welfare of the state. Our victory against the Ishballans may well hinge on your success against Omnipotence."

"I understand, my Fuhrer," replied Ed.

"Excellent," remarked the Fuhrer. "Ms. Rockbell, the Fullmetal Alchemist will need someone with your expertise to maintain his Automail parts. Go with him and help him in any way you can."

Winry curtseyed before the Fuhrer. "Of course, my Fuhrer."

"Mr. Valiant, Ms. Rockbell and the Elric brothers will now provide their services to your organization. Use them well," said Bradley.

Eddie rose from his seat and shook the Fuhrer's hand. "Thank you King Bradley, we'll make full use of the little guy."

"Little? Who are you calling little?" cried Ed irately.

Al locked his brother's arms, desperately trying to keep him from attacking Eddie and embarrassing himself in the process. "Calm down Ed, you're making a scene!"

Valiance's leadership left the tent and boarded the Crimson Egg with Winry and the Elric brothers in tow. Before entering the ship, the three Amestrians took a moment to examine Valiance's flag ship. They were awestruck by its mere presence, having never see such a ship before. "Wow, a spaceship! I've always wondered what it's like in outer space," remarked Al.

"OH WOW!" gasped Winry, stars in her eyes. "...A real live spaceship! I gotta see! I gotta see! I have to know how it works!" The young mechanic rushed into the ship, checking out everything on the way in.

"Oh man, Winry just died and went to heaven now," said Ed.

Upon entry, the Amestrians followed Roger Rabbit as he led them on a tour beginning with the bridge where Dr. Eggman was controlling his ship. "This here is the bridge, where Dr. Eggman controls the ship." 

"Welcome kids, I hope Roger hasn't been goofing around too much now," said Eggman.

"Nah, he's been pretty well behaved," replied Ed.

"Cool, a real live robot!" blurted Winry. "How does he work? What is he made of? I want to open him up!"

"Hey, let me go! I'm trying to drive here!" cried Bocoe as he tried to shake Winry off of him.

The Crimson tilted sideways suddenly when Bocoe's elbow bumped into the Crimson Egg's control stick. "Hey, what happened up there?" asked Eddie over the intercom system. 

"Don't worry Mr. Valiant, false alarm," replied Eggman. "Okay that's enough sightseeing for one day." 

"Yep, let's keep the tour moving," agreed Al, who picked up Winry and carried her back to the bridge's entry door. 

"Hey, let me go!" demanded Winry. "I still haven't seen inside the robots yet!"

"See you later, Dr. Eggman," said Ed.

The tour group retreated back to the hallways where they continued the tour of the Crimson Egg. Roger brought the Amestrians to each pertinent place on the ship, including the mess hall, the operations room, and the rooms of Eddie, Folken, and Dr. Eggman. The Crimson Egg's hallways were made of plain metal and were rather drab and sterile. Nevertheless, these hallways radiated a sense of energy from its circuitry. The Crimson Egg was truly a thing of the space age with its computers, electronics, and antimatter power systems. The ship was large and spacious enough to carry an entire battalion into war.

"Okay boys, this is your room. You room is the one to the right of their's Winry. I hope you'll enjoy this place," said Roger as he pointed to a metal doorway which consisted of two sliding metal doors. 

"Thank you Roger, your tour was very informative," said Al.

"Yeah, now where do I start?" asked Winry rhetorically as she went into her room to browse the technology. The doors opened with a hiss to let her pass, but Winry took a step back in pleasant surprise. "Whoa, even the doors are machines too!" 

Roger left the Amestrians to their devices, giving a parting wave as he walked away. However, the rabbit was not paying attention to where he was going and ended up pancaking his face into the wall of the neighbouring hallway. Ed and Al winced at Roger's pain, but the Toon rabbit gave a big thumbs-up to indicate that he was fine. After his face straightened, the comical rabbit gave a final wave and disappeared into the other hall. Ed walked up to his door, which opened just like Winry's. "Yep, that's pretty convenient," he remarked.

"Hey, let me try!" Al made an attempt to enter the door while his brother waited inside. Instead of opening, Al pancaked his face right into the door with a loud metal clang. "Ow..." groaned Al as he rubbed his face.

"Are you okay Al?" asked Ed.

"Ow... Yeah, I'm fine," replied the armoured alchemist. "Why did the door open for you, but not for me?"

"I'm not sure. I guess if you need to come in, I'll have to help you," said Ed. "Let's go in and relax."

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#39 Chiyu, The Brave Star: Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)  
#71 Chisui, The Fulfilled Star: Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)  
#73 Chiin, The Hidden Star: Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Spotlight: Fullmetal Alchemist 

Fullmetal Alchemist follows the adventures of the brothers Alphonse and Edward Elric. During their early childhood, their alchemist father disappeared, leaving their mother to take care of them. Eventually, even their mother passed away, leaving the brothers all alone. The boys studied alchemy, learning enough to attempt to raise their mother from the dead. The ritual went awry with Ed having his lost left leg while Al lost his entire body. Ed was barely able to save his brother, exchanging his right arm to seal Al's soul into a suit of armour. After receiving Automail prosthetics from the Rockbells, their next door neighbours, Ed and Al continued their quest to restore their mother to life.

Origin:  
Winry, Ed, and Al live in the country of Amestris of the Alchemic Earth, which is a military dictatorship. The brothers Elric were born into a family of alchemists and went on to take apprenticeships to gain what power they currently have. Winry had undergone similar education to learn about Automail, much of it coming from her own family. Ed went on to pass his qualification exam for being an Amestrian State alchemist, automatically becoming a Major in its military structure. He is the youngest State alchemist to date and goes by the name of "Fullmetal Alchemist."

Powers:  
Alchemy in the Alchemic Earth is a power of magical origin that manipulates the energy from the souls of dead humans. It is structured very much like a normal science, with rules and laws of its own. It consists of understanding matter, decomposing it, and then restructuring or manipulating it for the desired effect. It generally requires a transmutation circle to perform alchemy, though some alchemists like Ed can bypass this. Science in the Alchemic Earth is heavily entwined with alchemy, which creates much of the conveniences they use. 

Technology-wise, Alchemic Earth is about equivalent to that of Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. They have cars and conveniences such as electricity. However, one area where the Alchemic Earth is very advanced is in the area of prosthetics, particularly Automail. Automail is capable of giving its user a limb with greater mobility than even the original. It is like the cybernetics of futuristic worlds, an amazing achievement considering Alchemic Earth's lower technology level. However, since Automail is attached directly to the nerves, the attachment causes extreme pain, which is why many shun getting these prosthetics despite their advantages.


	15. Disarmament Story, part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Disarmament Story, part 1: Angels in the Outskirts **

Before the formation of Valiance, Izzy had warned the authorities of Tokyo-3 of Evangelia about Omnipotence cells in their world. Accordingly, the police raided the hideout, but had found nothing but empty rooms. Omnipotence had somehow learned about the threat to their operations and then cleaned out their base to remove all incriminating evidence. Even though this was a set back, hope was not lost. The Abh refugees, Lafiel Abriel and Jinto Lynn, had provided a new lead to the arms running ring instead. It is on this information that Ross, Naomi, and the witch hunters took a Valiance detachment to Evangelia, where they set up operations.

The Second Impact, a horrifying catastrophe, had brought untold destruction to the Earth of Evangelia. It resulted in the melting of the Antarctic ice caps, flooding the entire world. In the chaos that ensued, old Tokyo had been wiped out by powerful non-nuclear weapons. The N2 weapons left a crater which became a lake as water filled it over the years. Parts of old Tokyo were still submerged in this lake to this day. The people have long since moved westward to Tokyo-3, leaving the old city a forgotten relic. It was here, in the ruins of old Tokyo, that Valiance had made camp. As a ghost town, they were separated from the local population and would not disturb anyone. 

Ross, Naomi, and the witch hunters glossed over the information relayed by Folken. "So, there are seven locations used to sell arms," Amon summarized as he read the documents. "Omnipotence changes the location of their vendors each time to avoid detection. They frequent underground parking lots so that GPS systems can't spy on the location."

Miho punched some buttons on a small handheld, which displayed the locations of known meeting spots for the arms runners. "Our current position is the northwest section of the lake, near the shoreline. There are three locations to the east, two to the south, and another two across the lake. We'll check each of them out in a clockwise order. I'd like to case the place with my Craft too."

Outside, the Valiance members who would act as bodyguards for the investigators talked amongst each other. Since Omnipotence regularly employed dangerous people with superhuman abilities, Valiance needed to assign similar people to assist the investigators. Assigned to this mission were Koichi, Yolei, Sakura, Madison, Filia, Yoh, and Ryo. "Hello cutie! I never expected someone like you to come with us. So what's your name?" asked Ryo.

Filia took a good look at Ryo, who struck her as a weirdo with a strange taste in clothes and an even stranger taste in hairstyle. She sighed. "If you must know, it's Filia," replied Filia.

"Filia, that's a beautiful name," remarked Ryo. "You know, it's a very tough job trying to catch these thieves. That's why I like to unwind by going out for a night in the town. It gets pretty lonely going there by myself. Would you like to keep me company?"

"Nah, no thanks. My beliefs forbid me from engaging in sin and vice like you do," replied Filia, not wishing to be associated with Ryo. 

"Ha ha ha! Shot down again, Ryo?" asked Yoh, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Okay, this is a minor set back, but there's plenty of fish in the sea, and this fisherman is gonna catch them!" proclaimed Ryo.

At the same time, Madison was getting acquainted with her team mates. "That's Koichi. He and Yolei saved me from those bees," said Sakura.

"Hi!" said Madison.

"Hello," said Koichi.

Miho came out of the meeting. "Okay kids, it's time to move out!" 

Valiance initiated its operation with support from the authorities of Evangelia. The authorities of Evangelia surrounded each location with armed guards surrounding the area in key locations. Ross' team visited the first location, east of Valiance's base, which was the underground parking lot for the neighbouring mall. After the Second Impact, all that was left of this place was a set of ruins. The investigators searched the area meticulously, being vigilant for even the tiniest thing from a forgotten shell casing or a fallen hair. All they could find were traces of cleaning agents on the walls and ground. As usual, Omnipotence had been very meticulous about removing any form of evidence that could be traced back to them.

Miho touched her hand to a wall in an attempt to use her Craft to learn more about this location. Her psychic powers produced a random jumble of images, sounds, and thoughts. From her visions, she saw what seemed to be dozens of people, most of whom were criminals or terrorists of some kind. She continued to feel around the area, trying to isolate individual thoughts of the people. Since so many people had been in this area, their thoughts produced a great amount of psychic noise. It was difficult for her to process this information and focus on specific thoughts.

Nevertheless, she was able to confirm that Omnipotence had sold arms at this location. "There were people here. It's very jumbled but I can sense that they were here to buy guns. Other than that, I can't make anything else out. There's too much interference," admitted Miho.

"That's alright. At least we know we're on the right track. We can find something at another location," said Robin.

The investigators managed to search two more sites before calling it a day. In particular, Miho was fatigued from the extensive use of her Craft in her investigation. When she returned to her tent, she plopped herself down on her cot. "What a day!" she thought to herself.

* * *

A beautiful day dawned on Tokyo-3 with the golden sun rising to illuminate the concrete jungle. The coming of the sun brought the radiance of life back to a city that went dormant with the darkness of night. Mothers from small, single family apartments opened doors and brought out their clothes to dry for the day. Workers set out in their cars to begin the daily grind to support their families. At the heart of this city was a meek boy named Shinji Ikari, sleeping soundly in his futon. The young boy seemed so innocent as he turned to his side in his sleep.

"Wake up Shinji, it's time for school!" cried the boy's guardian, Misato Katsuragi.

"Just another minute, mom," said Shinji, still in a sleep-induced stupor. Misato squeezed Shinji's nose, interrupting his breathing. "Oh! Hey, what was that for?" 

"Wake up already, it's almost 8 in the morning!" said Misato.

"I'm up, I'm up," said Shinji grumpily.

After finishing the rest of their morning routine, Misato drove Shinji and her other ward, Asuka Langley Soryu, to school. The two kids couldn't be more different from each other. Shinji was the darker and more sombre of the two, with a meek and unassuming appearance. His counterpart, Asuka Langley Soryu, was the stereotypical fiery, hot-tempered girl whose hair matched her attitude. They were very different walks of life with Shinji being Japanese and from the East, whereas Asuka was mostly German, a country of the West. The two were literally opposites of each other, like male to female and water to fire.

"It's all your fault!" said Asuka, in reference to Shinji. "You had to sleep in today, didn't you? If you woke up on time, we'd be in school by now."

"I'm sorry," said Shinji.

"Sorry? Is that all you have to say?" asked Asuka.

Somehow, the two kids managed to make it to school, barely in time for the first period bell to ring. The school day went by as normal, with the teachers explaining everything from the newest mathematical formula to a brand new exercise for gym. Lunch time came, with hundreds of students gathering in a small cafeteria for sandwiches and assorted goodies to please even the most selective teenager. Shinji sat down at a table and took a bite out of a delicious sub. The taste of turkey, tangy mayonnaise, cheese, verdant lettuce, and tomato filled his mouth. It was a delicious meal, one that he couldn't have anticipated any more strongly.

Shinji's cell phone emitted a high-pitched sound. It was NERV paging him, requesting his help. As the Third Child selected to pilot an Evangelion, a gigantic biomechanical robot, he was a vital asset to NERV. Evangelions, or Evas, were used to repel attacks against Tokyo-3 from the bizarre creatures known as "Angels." Shinji rushed out of the lunch room with Asuka, the Second Child, not far behind him. Misato's bright red car came to a skidding stop just as the kids hit the street. "Hop in!" she cried.

The three scrambled to reach the Geo-Front, NERV headquarters. In the streets of Tokyo-3, several of its civilians scrambled to evacuate the city under the guidance of the military. The three burst into the strategy room to join the First Child, Rei Ayanami, who was already waiting inside. Misato gave a briefing on the situation, as the computer displayed images to assist her. NERV forces had detected four Angels on a direct course for the Geo-Front. The Angels resembled their namesake as white masses of flesh with wings. They were shaped like bowling pins which used their wing-like growths to propel themselves forward as they hovered above the ground. Each Angel had a single red, jewel-like eye on its head with a penetrating gaze that almost seemed to peer into the human soul.

"The four Angels are coming from the north, east, west, and south. We are going to send one Eva each to the ones attacking from the north, west, and south," declared Misato.

"What about the one coming from the east?" asked Rei.

"I was about to get to that. In the east is a camp belonging to a counter-terrorist group called Valiance. They have offered to engage the Angel by themselves. We will not assist them," replied Misato.

"We're not helping them? How will they manage without Evas?" asked Shinji. 

"They told us they'll manage. Our orders are to take care of the other three," replied Misato. "Okay children, I want you geared up and ready to go within ten minutes. Dismissed!" 

While the three suited up to sortie in their Evangelions, Valiance prepared to do battle with their Angel. The enormous bowling pin hovered through the ruined spires of old Tokyo, smashing what little structures remained standing in its path. After five minutes of floating through the city, it came face to face with a massive white hydra with Tokagero's face on its chest. This strange beast was flanked by a gigantic samurai. Both enemies seemed somewhat translucent, as though they were not entirely within this plane of existence. Each had a human master standing on their shoulders. The Angel's gaze moved to each individual, its eye rolling in its socket as though trying to gauge its opponents' strength.

"So this is what's attacking our camp; an overgrown bowling pin?" asked Yoh incredulously.

The Angel seemed to have been offended by Yoh's comment. It turned its eye to Amidamaru and fired a beam of energy. The mighty samurai, not expecting this move, barely raised his sword in time to block the shot. The beam pushed Amidamaru back, causing him to grind troughs into the ground with his sandaled feet. "I think you made him mad, Yoh," commented Amidamaru. 

"I guess I did," muttered Yoh. "Okay Ryo, let's get him!"

Ryo's hydra-like spirit, Orochi, charged at top speed towards the Angel, who raised an orange barrier in response. Orochi came to a halt and lashed his many heads forward with jaws snapping at the barrier. Amidamaru joined his comrade at the orange wall and stabbed the tip of his sword into a single point at chest height. Using all of his might, Amidamaru attempted to pry the barrier open so that he could pass through. At the same time, Orochi's teeth grabbed a tuft of the torn barrier and began to widen the rip. It wasn't long before the two ripped through the barrier and tore into the Angel. Orochi snatched one of its wings with its teeth, ripping the entire appendage off. Amidamaru followed with a severing slash through the torso.

The Angel collapsed onto the ground in pieces. "Piece of cake," said Yoh.

He had spoken too soon. Tendrils of flesh lashed out of the Angel's pieces and connected them together. The tendrils pulled the pieces of the Angel towards the top half of the torso, sealing the cuts with regenerated flesh until it was whole once again. The Angel stood up. "Oh great!" remarked Tokagero.

In a maniacal rage, the Angel fired endless beams of energy at the duo. Amidamaru and Orochi were forced to go onto the defensive to weather this onslaught. "It's that damn eye," cursed Yoh.

Another beam struck Orochi, producing a massive, blinding explosion. "If we don't' think of something soon, we're goners," warned Ryo.

"It's his eye," observed Amidamaru. "It looks like it is the creature's power source. If we can take out that eye, we might be able to beat him."

"His eye... Ryo, I have an idea, but I need you to cover me," requested Yoh. "I hope it works."

"Okay," replied Ryo.

When the Angel's stopped firing to recharge, Orochi proceeded to exhale massive jets of flaming white spiritual energy in retaliation. This torrent of supernatural energy collided with the Angel like a spreading brushfire, keeping it pinned down and unable to return fire. Through an exertion of its will, the Angel restored its barrier to withstand the onslaught. Orochi increased the intensity, forcing the Angel to do the same in order to maintain the integrity of his shield. The two sides struggled to achieve dominance, each putting forth an increasing amount of power to defeat the other.

With the Angel's attention diverted to Orochi, Amidamaru made his move. The ages old samurai came from above with katana in hand. Just as he came close, the Angel noticed him, but it was just a second too late. Amidamaru's katana punctured the Angel's ruby eye, which began leaking vital orange juices over its body and onto the ground. The writhed it agony and dropped its barrier as a result. Orochi's spiritual energy, no longer contained by the barrier, came gushing through like a tidal wave of whiteness. It washed through the Angel in its wake, consuming and disintegrating the Angel in a deluge of spiritual flame.

"He won't be bothering us again," said Ryo.

"Yeah, let's go back to camp," replied Yoh.

Meanwhile, the battle went smoothly for the three children. At first, each Angel gave the children difficulties as they tried to battle the creature. Asuka raised her Evangelion's AT Field, a special type of defensive barrier unique to Angels and Angel derivatives like the Evangelions. The two fields ground against each other until both collapsed from overexertion. Unit 02, Asuka's Eva, pulled a small knife from a side compartment and plunged it into the Angel's eye. The ruby-like organ ruptured, gushing orange blood freely as the Angel collapsed on the ground writhing. Deprived of its eye, the monster withered away until all that remained was a husk. 

"Okay kids, well done!" complimented Misato over the communications system. "Let's bring'em home."

Upon returning to NERV HQ, the children disembarked from their Evas and attended a debriefing by Misato. "Welcome back kids. You did well out there. The damage to Tokyo-3 was minimal since you successfully intercepted the Angels before they could reach town. Valiance had also successfully subdued their Angel as well. Good work."

"Misato, maybe it's just me, but I can't help but find today's Angel strange," admitted Shinji. "I've fought many Angels, but they don't normally come in such large groups. They usually come at us one at a time."

"I hate to admit it but Shinji's right," said Asuka. "The only time we ever fought multiple simultaneous Angels, was with that stupid dance."

"Yeah, I do admit that it's a little strange for four Angels to attack us simultaneously. I'll ask Ritsuko about this later. Dismissed!" said Misato.

Three hours later, Misato paid a visit to Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's chief scientist. At the moment, Ritsuko was writing something down on a piece of paper attached to her clipboard. NERV troops had taken a sample of the Angel's corpse for their scientists to analyze in the comfort of their labs. Like Misato, Ritsuko had suspected something was amiss with this Angel. Angels normally didn't attack in groups this large and certainly without this degree of coordination. She had meticulously scrutinized the Angel's DNA, looking for anything that might shed light on this abnormality.

Ritsuko turned to Misato as she entered. "Oh hi Misato!"

"Hello!" replied Misato. "Did you find anything new?"

"Definitely, I looked at samples from the Angels defeated by the children and the Valiance guys today. I noticed that each Angel had consistent genetic defects. Take a look."

Misato took some diagrams of the structure of the Angels' DNA, each labelled according to whomever had slain the Angel. Ritsuko had circled two connections between the DNA's double-helix pattern in red. The first was two strands down from the top and the second was three strands above the bottom. These were the locations of the genetic defects. "They're all in the same place," remarked Misato as she flipped through the documents.

"That's right," replied Ritsuko. "This is evidence that these Angels were not natural but had, in fact, been cloned. They were created by someone to attack the Geo-Front." 

"Who would want to attack NERV HQ?" Misato asked rhetorically.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Ritsuko.

* * *

One night three days later, several unscrupulous characters gathered in an underground parking lot of a local mall. Large camouflaged trunks were parked in virtually every space imaginable. The vendors had makeshift stands and stalls set up along the back of the lot with their wares showcased across shelves and tables. In their stock were weapons from worlds beyond those of Evangelia. There were weapons for personal defence, like pistols and submachine guns, to much more devastating hardware like rocket launchers and missiles. Even the technology of weapons varied from modern, bullet-firing weapons to technologically advanced energy weapons.

The buyers seemed to come from almost every ethnicity and criminal group imaginable. One group consisted of over a dozen Japanese men, all wearing shades and designer suits. Another were a group of guerrillas dressed in blue berets, camouflage, and combat vests. Yet another was a group of tough-looking Jamaicans in street clothes with their black hair tied into dreadlocks. As these men approached the stalls, the vendors scrambled to lure the customers to their stalls. They droned a pre-planned sales pitch to encourage their customers to buy their hardware.

"Hey my friend, how about this E22 handgun? It's a beauty, isn't it? It can fire two modes, stun and kill, and renders typical Kevlar armour useless," said the vendor to a passing Yakuza thug.

A Jamaican drug dealer stormed in front of the vendor and slammed the remains of a broken energy handgun in front of the vendor. "You sold me a defective weapon! When I fired it yesterday, my gun broke down. I want my money back!" cried a Jamaican, a drug dealer. 

"I'm sorry but what you see is what you get. Our policies prohibit us from granting refunds," said the vendor. 

"Damn you, I want my money and I want it back now!" cried the Jamaican, who pulled a gun on the vendor. In response, the nearby guards pulled weapons on the Jamaican, whose friends pulled weapons on the guards in turn, leading to a dangerous Mexican standoff. More guards entered the area, training guns on the Jamaican's friends. The Jamaicans, now outnumbered and outgunned, decided to put away their weapons. All of the guards did the same once the situation was under control.

In truth, the Jamaican's weapon was perfectly functional with nothing wrong with it mechanically. The problem was that the Jamaican never took the effects of Paradox into consideration when he used his weapon. Although science was the most lenient of the power types in the worlds, there were still limits to what one could do with it before running afoul of Paradox. The Jamaican man hailed from a world that had not developed energy-based weapons yet. Due to that fact, he lacked the metaphysical makeup that could support the existence of such a weapon. Thus, it broke down some time after he tried to use it.

After the Jamaican drug dealer stormed off, a new truck pulled into an empty space in the lot. A brunette woman clad in form-fitting black suit and sunglasses disembarked from the truck with underlings. She went up to one of the vendors and ordered at least a dozen missiles. As the woman ironed out the finer details of her purchase, one of her men broke away from the pack unnoticed. The man secretly threw a small metallic sphere in an easily overlooked area between tents. The objected began flickering with a faint red light. The man returned to his comrades just in time to help load the missiles into the back of his truck. The buyers sped away in their vehicle soon afterwards.

Two hours passed with the criminal and terrorist elements of various worlds arming themselves for their next crime. After that, the dreaded announcement came. "This is the police. We have you surrounded. Come out with your hands up!" 

That announcement sent waves of panic throughout the arms market. The crooks rushed to their vehicles in a desperate attempt to escape the law, while the vendors hastily moved to close shop. As the Yakuza car attempted to speed out, police cars skid to a sideways stop at the exit, blocking their only path out. Fearing capture, the Yakuza opened fire rather than be taken alive. In her car, Armitage and Ross ducked just before bullets went sailing through their windshield. The police left their cars and returned fire from behind the cover of their vehicles while the Yakuza continued the attack. 

For several minutes, hundreds of bullets when sailing back and forth between the two sides. Both sides were pinned down under heavy fire until Madison intervened in the battle. Letting lose a high pitched scream through the Voice card, the magic of the Clow amplified her voice to an inhuman level. The deadly scream shook the ground and rattled the Yakuza painfully, leaving the police unharmed. The scream was so shrill that they had no choice but to stop shooting and cover their ears. With guns constantly trained on them, the police slowly surrounded the Japanese criminals. The Yakuza wisely raised their arms to surrender.

Elsewhere, a firefight brewed between other arms dealers and Miho's team. Since Miho's group was up against actual Omnipotence agents, they were forced to deal with superhumanly powered beings. Instead of firing bullets, the arms dealers used Crafts just like the witch hunters did. As a result, it went very poorly for the mundane police officers. One such Craft user shot a pair of officers with bullets made out of pure ice which froze them solid on contact. These fantastic powers terrified the police officers, who were completely unable to put up a decent fight despite their firepower and training. The only three people who didn't run away when exposed to the supernatural power of the Craft were Robin, Amon, and Miho, Craft users themselves.

Miho fired at a witch, downing a different arms dealer with Orbo pellets. The ice Craft user froze water vapour into bullets of ice and sent them at Robin. In response, she pyrokinetically melted the bullets before they could even reach her, evaporating them as steam in mere microseconds. The cryokineticist blew out a torrent of ice which Robin stopped with a wall of flame. She pushed the flames through the ice and snow until it reached the enemy and formed a ring of fire around him. The enemy writhed in pain and terror as the tongues of flames lashed out at him. Being defenceless, Miho finished him off with a pair of well placed shots from her Orbo gun.

Amon's opponent lashed out with bolts of dangerous lightning. The dark detective raised a wall of telekinetic force which blunted the attack harmlessly. The enemy turned up the power by using both hands, forcing Amon to channel more power to maintain his defences. Miho fired a pair of Orbo shots at the Craft user, which he nullified with arcs of lightning. In retaliation, the man fanned out bolts of lightning everywhere in front of him from his fingertips. Robin defended herself in the nick of time with a burst of Craft fire. The lightning travelled to Miho, who tried to manoeuvre out of harm's way, but was a split second too slow. She was struck by the lightning and thrown to the ground writhing.

"Miho!" cried Robin.

Amon took this opportunity to strike a blow at the enemy. With the Craft user's attention diverted onto Miho, he made a tactical error and released some of the pressure on Amon. With telekinetic Craft, he slammed the enemy hard into a concrete supporting beam. As the witch was dazed, Amon telekinetically tore the bumper off of the man's truck and wound it around his prey. "Is she okay?" asked Amon.

"I'm fine," replied Miho, still somewhat dazed as Robin help her up.

Valiance and their police allies mopped up the arms dealers and their customers with ease. Duskmon cornered a group of unaware Jamaicans and sprayed an aphotic black miasma over them. Pain fell over the Jamaicans like the sensation of having their innards ripped out of their bodies. Drained until exhaustion, the men collapsed onto the ground for the police to surround and capture. A whirlwind flung the soldiers of Blue Cosmos into the air, letting them drop to a heap on the ground like rag dolls. Vines sprouted from the ground and tangled the enemy up, ensuring they could not retaliate once the police officers approached to take them into custody.

Ross and Naomi went to check up on the success of the other officers. "Ross, Naomi, we've caught the men!" announced Sakura.

"Good work, Sakura," said Naomi.

Back at the witch hunter's location, a holding van had arrived on the scene to secure the suspects. Tails came into the area to check up on the Omnipotence arms dealers, the most important individuals nabbed in the raid. "Are these things really going to keep them from committing suicide?" asked Robin as she showed Tails a small metal bead with a flashing red light.

"Don't worry, you can count on me. Those things will jam their signals so we can get them to talk," replied Tails.

Valiance hauled the arms dealers off to their camp for a session of intense questioning. With Tails having rendered the suicide devices a non-issue, Valiance was finally able to question Omnipotence agents directly. Ross watched though a tinted window as an interrogator questioned and browbeat one of the arms dealers forcefully. The man, unable to handle the pressure placed on him, buckled about an hour in and leaked the information the police wanted. Although this man did not know the source of the weapons entering Abh rebel hands, he did reveal a critical node where the weapons passed through on their way to the Abh insurgents. This node was in the world of Bebop and one of its key figures was an Abh named Vicontiel Dunner.

Bebop was the home of the Cowboy Bebop anime. In that world, it is the year 2071. The human race had taken its first steps into space. Though lacking faster than light engines, the human race of that world had successfully constructed a set of hyperspace gates for quick travel through their Solar System. An accident involving one of the gates near the Earth exploded, taking chunks of the moon with it. These chunks rained down on the Earth like meteors, annihilating more than two thirds of the population. As a result, most of the human race had scattered to the rest of their solar system, where they live in various colonies.

In the world Bebop, crime levels had been increasing steadily while criminal syndicates still exerted much influence in the world. To counter this, the government issued a bounty system similar to the one used in the Wild West. Vigilantes and bounty hunters, also known as "cowboys," were encouraged to capture criminals alive and then deliver them to the authorities in exchange for generous rewards of Woolong, Bebop's currency. Omnipotence and its allies would fit in with this cesspool of crime. It was the perfect place for black market arms dealers and terrorists to hide.

* * *

The next day, the three children were summoned to the Geo-Front as the result of an emergency. Joining them were two more fourteen-year-old Children, one a bronzed boy with a "jock" motif and the other a typical junior high school girl. The boy was dressed in black track pants and a jacket to match. He was the Fourth Child selected to pilot an Evangelion and his name was Toji Suzuhara. The girl, who had a freckled face and hair tied into two ponytails, was the newest Eva pilot. Her name was Hikari Horaki and she was the Sixth Child. Although both could pilot Evangelions, they functioned more as reservists to be called in during dire emergencies. 

Currently, the situation around Tokyo-3 would be classified as exactly that. Misato began the briefing, describing the situation around the Geo-Front. At the moment, twelve Angels were moving towards NERV HQ, the largest number to ever make such an attack simultaneously. The Angels were the same kind as the four which had recently attacked NERV HQ. They were approaching from the four cardinal directions in groups of three. The JSSDF had already made an attempt to subdue the Angels with conventional firepower, but was ineffective. With the Evas outnumbered, NERV turned to the only people left who were in a position to help; Valiance.

Valiance had demonstrated that the strange supernatural powers of their forces were just as effective as the Evas versus Angels, possibly even more so. Their agents had successfully defeated one of the Angels as it advanced on their camp. For this second attack, the Children would receive support from Valiance in intercepting the Angels before they reached the Geo-Front. Toji and Hikari were to stop the ones coming from the west. Rei was to take the north, Asuka the south, and Shinji the east. Rei, Asuka, and Shinji would receive help from Valiance agents and had to hold out until they arrived.

The pilots geared up and sortied in their Evangelions. Within minutes, Shinji encountered his Angels hovering their way towards the Geo-Front. The Angels looked over his Evangelion and opened fire with their eye beams. Unit 01 raised its AT Field, blunting the threat of the beams without harm to itself. Shinji dropped his AT Field and opened fire with his assault rifle. The bullets punctured holes into the first two Angels struck, while bouncing off of a hastily erected AT Field formed by the third. As the two perforated angels fell to the ground, the third fired beams of energy at Shinji, which kept him pinned down behind his AT Field.

Within seconds, the fallen Angels began to recover from the wounds they had suffered from Shinji's bullets. The bullets holes filled with newly formed flesh until they sealed up completely. They rose to a vertical position and joined their brethren in firing on Shinji's AT Field. Now with three Angels firing on him, Shinji was in big trouble. Even though an AT Field was a powerful defence, such a defence still relied on an energy source, which could be taxed and overloaded. Already, he could feel his hold on his AT Field weakening. Once it broke, the beams burst through and seared their way to Unit 01's chest sending an equivalent paroxysm of pain through Shinji's.

Unit 01 fell to one knee, unable to resist as the Angels closed in for the deathblow. Suddenly, an aphotic miasma fell over the three Angels, surrounding them in an aura of darkness. The Angels writhed in agony as the foul, tainted presence of negative energy viciously wrenched the very life from their beings. Shinji wasted no time in drawing a progressive knife and viciously stabbing it into an Angel's ruby eye. He rushed to the second, driving the deadly blade into the eye, causing its vital orange blood to spill on the ground. Shinji pivoted Unit 01 around to the final Angel, plunging the knife back into its eye in a single swift motion.

As the Angels collapsed to the ground in a withered heap, he searched for whoever had helped him. He saw a being of darkness, an armoured demon that seemed to be half vulture and half man, and stood over twice the height of an average man. This creature didn't seem natural at all, let alone of this world and seemed to watch Unit 01 with knowing, lidless eyes. The creature expanded his wings to their maximum length before soaring off at immense speeds, leaving Shinji with the husks of the defeated. Secretly, Shinji was thankful for this creature's intervention. It was only because of that creature that Shinji survived this ordeal. 

Back at the Geo-Front, the guards of NERV HQ came under fire by hundreds of unknown, jackbooted enemies in black. Thousands of energy bolts ripped out of their guns as they fired upon NERV guards who returned fire with firearms. The enemy's superior firepower proved to be more than a match for NERV's. One by one, guards fell in battle as the jackbooted storm troopers flooded into the underground complex. With brutal efficiency and expedience, the men killed all who dared to oppose them. The enemy soon met a barricade of NERV forces, exchanging fire with them in a heated shoot out.

"Yolei, the NERV HQ is coming under attack!" warned Folken over the radio. "The Angels were a diversion to distract us while they attacked the headquarters. NERV is sending out a distress signal asking for our help. There's an underground emergency access tunnel just a bit north of your location. I've sent Sakura, Madison, and Filia to help you. Get in there on the double!"

"Okay, I'm on my way!" replied Yolei.

Meanwhile, the Children were receiving instructions from their commanders. "Children," addressed Ritsuko. "We're coming under attack. There have taken over the hangar area! You can't return to HQ." Ritsuko glanced at Misato, who fired a handgun at several unseen attackers.

"Where do we go?" asked Rei.

"Head to the Valiance camp. They're making preparations to evacuate us to safety," replied Ritsuko. "Move it, we don't have all day!"

Ritsuko closed the comm channel and put her back to a barricade, clutching a handgun in her hands. Misato peeked out from behind the barricade and squeezed off a trio of shots. Other NERV personnel fired handguns and assault rifles at the enemy, who hid behind whatever cover they could find. Two of them were dead and five more were wounded. Unlike NERV's weapons, the enemy's fired energy bolts. Rather than puncture the flesh, these weapons incinerated it. Those who were wounded suffered from severe burns rather than lodged bullets.

"We're boxed in," said Misato. "We can't keep this up for long." 

"We have to hold out as long as possible. Valiance agents are coming to assist us. We must hold out until they arrive," said Ritsuko.

"Easier said than done," quipped Misato.

The Major peaked from under the barricade and let out another trio of shots. The enemy suddenly peaked out of a corner with return fire. The first three shots missed, but the fourth hit its mark, striking Misato near the ribs. "GAHHH!" she gasped painfully before toppling over.

"MISATO!" cried Ritsuko.

"GAHHH UGGGH!" gasped Misato, in far too much agony to answer. The burns from the shot were quite severe and the wound was bleeding profusely. The medic desperately attempted to remove her jacket and shirt to apply first aid.

"Damn, if this keeps up we're going to die here," gasped Ritsuko. 

Ritsuko noticed something strange happening at the enemy's end of the hallway. One of their squad members went flying width wise across the adjacent hallway. From the way he flew, it looked more like he had been thrown back. The man landed outside of the NERV defenders' view, so they didn't know what had happened to him after that. A beam of energy streaked by, striking an unseen object and sending more men crashing to the ground from an ensuing explosion. Several shots went flying sideways to an unknown victim, followed by an enraged griffon-like creature pouncing onto the invaders. Suddenly, more men went flying across the hallway in the opposite direction, likely thrown by that creature.

When the coast was clear, Yolei approached the NERV with hands raised. "Don't shoot, we're Valiance! We're here to help!"

"What is that thing?" asked Ritsuko, referring to Halsemon.

"I resent being called a 'thing,'" said Halsemon.

"He's Halsemon. He's just my Digimon. Don't worry, he won't bite." 

"I am a medic. What is the condition of your men?" asked Filia. The NERV medic reported the condition of the wounded. Two of his men were dead and couldn't be saved. Six more were wounded including the highest ranked officer, Major Misato Katsuragi. Filia laid her open palms above the open wounds of Misato. They began to glow with a faint but serene white light as she began to chant a spell. "Oh great lord of the flames, grant this humble child the breath of life. Resurrection!"

"UGGGH!" gasped Misato. Though feeling pain at first, a soothing sensation washed over Misato's body as Filia's divine magic began to regenerate Misato's flesh.

Ritsuko could only watch this miraculous event awe struck. "Miraculous!" she remarked.

Yolei channelled the natural powers of the Crest of Sincerity upon the wounds of a downed NERV soldier. The Crest of Sincerity appeared in a verdant light between the palms of Yolei's hands as she invoked its powers. As her hands glowed with a green light, she hovered them over the wound. A leaf-like image superimposed over the wound which began to close as the restorative powers of nature began to regenerate the burn. Filia and Yolei moved from soldier to soldier, healing each with the life giving powers of their magic. Within minutes, the soldiers had recuperated enough such that they could be moved safely. 

Soldiers slung wounded comrades on their shoulders and helped them reach safety. The girls of Valiance led the NERV survivors through several lengthy metal corridors. Within minutes, the group found a location where the rays of daylight filtered through a doorway. A pair of Blue Typhoon shuttles were waiting for them there, ready to ferry them out of the deathtrap that the NERV HQ had become. Yolei urged the NERV survivors to enter the shuttle, which promptly lifted off with a burst of jet power. The shuttles made a brief flight eastward, where they docked inside the Blue Typhoon's hangar. 

The Blue Typhoons engines started with the sound of hot air streaming. The Blue Typhoon rose into the sky, clearing escape velocity and entered into the void of outer space. "Tails, we have a dozen space-time shots approaching this location," announced Chris. "They are coming from Abh ships!"

"It's an invasion force," said Tails without hesitation. "We don't stand a chance against that many ships by ourselves. Helm, take us home!"

"Aye, aye, captain," replied Cream. 

The Blue Typhoon's dimensional travel module filled with power channelled to it by the Master Emerald. Knuckles chanted prayers to the gigantic gem, calling on it to empower the Blue Typhoon. The black void began to bend and warp until space and time itself became distorted and the image of the Valiance home world's moon appeared. The Blue Typhoon entered this aperture between worlds, just seconds before the Abh warships materialized in the area. With the Valiance battle ship having fled elsewhere, the Abh turned their attention to the planet instead and began to orbit it.

* * *

Shinji and the other Eva pilots laid paid a visit to the infirmary to visit the wounded NERV workers. "Misato, are you okay?" asked Shinji.

"I'm fine, it's just a scratch, nothing I can't handle," replied Misato. The doctor applied another bandage to cover her ribs. "Ouch! Not so rough!" 

"First the Angels and now we're stuck in this dinky place," complained Asuka.

"Well excuse us for making the place so 'dinky,'" said Eddie as he entered the infirmary. "It's not like we had a welcoming party prepared just for you."

"Mr. Valiant? I didn't expect you to show up. What brings you here?" asked the doctor.

"I'd like to talk to the Major," said Eddie.

"Yeah, I'm here, what do you need?" asked Misato.

"I'm here to ask about you guys," said Eddie. "You see, since your headquarters is now a new hangout for storm troopers, I was wondering what you were going to do. Not to pressure you, but we'd really appreciate it if you guys could run with us. If you go that route, we can help you take back NERV when the time comes. We could really use guys like you around here."

"I don't know," replied Misato. "I need time to think about it."

"Sure, no problem," said Eddie, before leaving. "Even if you don't want to run with us, we'll drop you off somewhere safe until this blows over."

NERV's personnel gathered together to discuss their next move. "Okay folks, as you all now by now, terrorists have taken over the Geo-Front. Valiance sent agents to rescue us and brought us back to their base. As of now, NERV no longer exists so I'm no longer your commanding officer. I'm just plain old Misato Katsuragi now. I can't tell you where to go or what to do. Valiance has extended an invitation for us to join if we want to take back our homes. If we refuse, they promise to drop us off somewhere else."

"I don't understand," admitted Rei. "Why do they care so much about us?"

"I guess it's because they're in the same position we are," replied Ritsuko. "Many of the people had been attacked by these guys. They know what it's like to lose family and friends to them." 

"Well, I don't know about you but I don't want them dropping us off God knows where. I want to return home to Tokyo!" stated Misato. "I can't let what they did slide. I want payback so I'm joining Valiance."

"If you're staying Misato, then I am too," declared Ritsuko. "Plus, the scientist in me wants to study these people and their technology." 

"Well, I'm staying too. How could I possibly leave?" asked Asuka rhetorically. "Plus, there's a lot of cute guys I want to meet."

"I'm staying too," said Shinji. His announcement came as a surprise to the other NERV personnel, who whispered amongst themselves.

"Wow, Shinji is staying too?" asked Toji incredulously.

"I must be dreaming..." remarked Hikari.

"Yeah, me too, who would have thought Shinji would actually grow a spine and stand up for himself," remarked Asuka.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" asked Shinji.

"Oh nothing," replied Asuka, feigning a sense of innocence.

With so many people announcing their intent to remain and assist Valiance, the feeling spread through the NERV remnants like wildfire. It was quite likely that deep down, each NERV survivor wanted to join Valiance against the enemy that invaded their home. The announcements of key members of their ranks served as the impetus for the others to act on their desires. Thus, the remnants unanimously voted in favour of joining Valiance. Despite Valiance's loss that day, they've gained new allies in the form of NERV remnants and the military expertise they had.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#24 Tenkyu, The Lewd Star: Misato Katsuragi (Evangelion) 

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#52 Chijiku, The Axis Star: Rei Ayanami (Evangelion)  
#69 Chitai, The Retreating Star: Shinji Ikari (Evangelion)  
#80 Chichin, The Supressing Star: Asuka Langley Soryu (Evangelion)

Spotlight: Neon Genesis Evangelion

This anime takes place after a disaster known as the "Second Impact," which caused Antarctica to melt, flooding the world and throwing it into anarchy. This marked the beginning of attacks by the Angels, strange creatures with incredible powers and the formation of NERV to fight them. Drawn into this conflict is Shinji Ikari, a meek, reclusive boy whose father, Gendo Ikari, is the leader of the force that fights the Angels. Seeing Rei wounded in battle with an Angel, Shinji becomes an Evangelion pilot. He is caught up in the Human Instrumentality Project, a plot by a shadowy group called "SEELE" to initiate the Third Impact, artificially evolving humanity by uniting it into a single transcendent "God."

Origin:  
This project began with SEELE's acquisition of the Dead Sea scrolls, which foretold many things, including the coming of the Angels. Much of the technology used by NERV was created for the purpose of starting the Third Impact. As a result, the concepts and beings in Evangelia all have names derived from Christianity. In fact, the Evangelions, save Unit 01, were based on Adam, the first Angel. It was really humanity's attempt to capture Adam that caused the Second Impact. The Third Impact ultimately happened, but Shinji's choices stopped the event from fully completing, returning humanity to its normal form. 

Powers:  
Evangelia is a world of science, despite its closeness to religion and faith. Humanity has not truly moved into space since the Second Impact and the Angels prevented that from happening. The main technological advancement is the Evangelion, humanoid war machines. Technically, Evas aren't even machines. They are actually living beings encased in armour which allow the pilot to control it. They have a special defence known as the Absolute Terror Field or AT Field for short. It is a strong barrier of energy and is one of the best types of barriers in all of the anime worlds.


	16. Invasion of the Abh Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Invasion of the Abh Story, part 2: Feuding in Japan **

As Valiance moved to defend anime worlds from enemy attack, the enemy continued its conquest of other anime worlds. Above one of the many versions of Earth in the anime worlds, six ships hovered in the space around the planet. These ships were of Abh design, yet were not trying to attack the planet. That was because they had all but conquered the world below already. The ships wait at strategic points around the planet, preventing anyone from landing or escaping the planet. In particular, one of these vessels hovered in orbit above the city of Tokyo, Japan.

On the streets below, violence was the order of the day. The streets were covered in blood and the bodies of the dead, both human and not. A tank laid abandoned on the street, its engine burning with black smoke billowing into the sky and the corpse of a soldier lying on the front. The people of the city had long since abandoned their homes for fear of the monsters wandering the area. Throughout Tokyo, strange creatures from an unspeakable, hellish existence roamed the streets with impunity. They included the very same birds that stole the Destiny Stones from the Digital Nations. There were oni and even some humanoid demons armed with feudal Japanese weaponry.

Suddenly, the space in orbit above Demonic Japan warped and swirled! This link between worlds opened to allow the Crimson Egg, the Kusanagi, and an Abh ship known as the Basroil to breach Demonic Earth's airspace. The space forces of Valiance immediately began an attack on the hostile Abh cruisers. The Kusanagi opened its mobile suit hangar, which launched half a dozen humanoid robots into the fray. They were the Kusanagi's mobile suit complement, consisting of the Aegis, the Strike Rouge, and four M1 Astrays. The Crimson Egg launched dozens of robotic drones of its own as its counterpart to the mobile suits.

"All mobile suit squadrons; focus your fire on the Bonfire," ordered the Kusanagi's helmsman, Ledonir Kisaka.

"Yes sir!" replied Athrun.

"Drone squadron, you target is the Instigator, concentrate all fire on it," ordered Dr. Eggman. 

Beams of energy zipped back and forth as ship fired at ship relentlessly. The Basroil drifted into firing range of its counterpart, the Occupier. Nuclear missiles swooshed out of its tubes, striking the Occupier with explosive force. The brief, fiery explosion revealed a barrier of blue energy momentarily as the blast ripped through and damaged the Occupier's port side. The power of the blast shook the ship to its very core, throwing commuting crewmen into the walls of its hallways. Suited work crews desperately scrambled to hose down fires caused by overloaded circuitry. The Basroil crew pressed its advantage, flying straight beside the Occupier and with guns blazing.

The Aegis shifted into its mobile armour mode, a pseudo-fighter form with claws that flowered open around the barrel of a great energy cannon. Athrun fired a massive beam of energy at the Bonfire, which revealed a previously invisible blue barrier. The beam traced a path along the ship's starboard side, blowing one of the ship's cannons tracing a path of destruction along its starboard side before Athrun pulled away. Even thought the Bonfire returned fire, it was unable to hit such a fast, manoeuvrable target like the Aegis. The Strike Rouge moved into position and fired a beam, scoring a first hit which shorted circuited and triggered a fire in the engine room. The second hit destroyed what was left of the engine and the ship by triggering a massive, annihilating explosion which ripped the Bonfire into pieces. 

Valiance's attack was swift and merciless. The Basroil, locked in mortal combat with the Occupier, backed away to create space between them. As the coup de grace, the Basroil launched a second nuclear missile. The missile tore its way through the Occupier's bridge and exploded, incinerating the crew inside. The primary explosion rent the Occupier in half as smaller secondary explosions devastated what remained untouched. The Occupier's remains scattered into the farthest reaches of space. One by one, its allies fell until none remained. The ships of Valiance had won and secured the area for another portal to open.

From this portal came a horde of bullet-like drop ships ready to land on the planet. Like meteors, the ships descended through Demonic Earth's atmosphere, touching down on the surface of the planet near the Higurashi Shinto temple in Tokyo City. Dozens of soldiers stormed out of the drop ships with Piccolo, Lina, Naga, Gourry, and Zelgadiss leading the charge. Their arrival did not go unnoticed by the demons. An oni made a beeline for Piccolo, who dodged its club and felled it with a powerful flying kick to an unprotected left side. He fired a blast of ki at a horde of demons charging in, annihilating the entire in group a single, devastating explosion.

"Charge!" cried Gourry.

Dozens of screaming, enraged men rushed at the demons without fear in their hearts. Lina fired a Fireball spell into the rear ranks of the enemy, killing countless demons in a mighty display of magical power. Naga cast the Freeze Rain spell over the heads of the enemy, bringing a sphere of solid ice into existence. The sphere began to fire icicles randomly and endlessly into the enemy ranks. Upon contact, each icicle froze the victim to such an extent that they became dangerously brittle. Upon blowing on the icy statues, Naga shattered each of them into pieces. With a Flare Arrow, Naga destroyed her sphere, ensuring no one else would be harmed by it. 

Gourry slashed at demon resembling a centipede with a dragon's head grafted onto it. His first strike severed multiple legs, sending a paroxysm of pain through the demon's body. The demon reared back and snapped at him, but Gourry was a step ahead. He slashed at the beast's head, taking out its left eye and causing to let a blood curdling scream. The beast spewed a torrent of flame but Gourry was quick enough to roll out of the way. He manoeuvred to the creature's rear and leapt onto its back. The creature desperately thrashed about to throw him off, but Gourry held fast and slashed into the monster's flesh until it dropped dead.

The demonic hordes of the shrine dwindled with the fall of each of their members. Explosions and thunder sounded until the very last creature was obliterated, a victim of the terrifying power of magical destruction. Valiance soldiers gained inch after inch until they were able to force their way into the shrine, where they discovered the source of the demons. This source seemed to be a mere wooden well, but every few seconds, a flash of pink light would be emitted from it. After the flash, a demon would emerge from it and attack Valiance's forces. Apparently, this well was a portal of some kind to the world from which the demons hailed. Valiance's mission was to enter this world and cut off the flow of demonic invaders permanently.

"Lina, we'll cover you. Just be careful where you point that thing," warned Zelgadiss.

"Okay, okay, sheesh... With that attitude, it's like you're expecting me to blow all of us up," said Lina.

Zelgadiss grimaced at Lina. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

Lina concentrated as summoned great amounts of magical power. "Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows. Buried in the flow of time, in thy great name I pledge myself to darkness! Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power we possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"

Upon utterance of her spell, Lina cupped her hands downward and unleashed a massive beam of crimson energy into the well. The energy, a projection of the unholy will of the demon Ruby Eye Shabranigdo, travelled into the rift through time and space. The energy shot out of the on the other side, shocking the demons amassed in a camp around the well. It exploded in blinding light visible for miles, consuming all in its wake with apocalyptic destruction. Though time and space echoed the horrified voices of hundreds of demons screaming in unison and an abrupt silence. All that remained of the well's other side was a smouldering, lifeless crater.

* * *

From a distant hill, a group of local residents noticed the bright flash of light. "What was that?" asked the young monk of the group.

"I don't know, it looked like it came from the well," said a teenaged girl in a school uniform.

The swordsman in red robes, a half dog, half human demon detected an unusual scent. "It smells like charred grass and burnt demon flesh."

On the other side of the well, the aftermath of the Dragon Slave could be seen and felt for miles around. No longer was the area around the Feudal Era well a nest of corruption and darkness. Now, the area around the Higurashi well was completely devoid of life. Only a barren, rocky wasteland remained. The ground had been charred black and still smouldered. A great mushroom-shaped cloud dissipated into the sky, signalling the site of the apocalyptic nightmare. When they got to the location, their nekomata member growled as an indication. The locals came across this desolate wasteland of blackened soil. Strewn around the area were piles of ash from dead demons burnt by whatever had devastating the land.

"What happened here?" asked the girl in a kimono, who was mounted on the nekomata.

"Hide! Something's coming through the well!" cried the cute little kitsune.

"Ow, okay I'm going, I'm going," complained Lina as she climbed out of the hole.

"Well, we don't have to worry about those demons anymore, not after a Dragon Slave like that," said Zelgadiss as he dusted himself off.

More and more men, women, and even children emerged from the hole. Four of them, Kakashi and his ninja squad, dashed away from the forming camp and jumped into the treetops with the agility of a cat. "Four of them just left the camp!" observed the kitsune, Shippo.

"We'd better get out of here before they see us," suggested the monk, Miroku. "We can't fight that many people all at once."

The group ran away from the camp, making sure they were not detected in any way, shape, or form. "They came from your world Kagome, do you know those people?" asked the swordsman, Inuyasha.

"No, I've never seen anyone like them before," replied Kagome, the school girl.

"There's been a lot of strange people coming and going through this region lately," said the girl in a kimono, Sango. "Could they be with them?"

"I don't think so. They don't look like the others," observed the monk, Miroku.

"Whoever they are, I don't like the looks of them," admitted Shippo, the young kitsune boy.

"I agree, Shippo. If they had the power to demolish the well and the surrounding land like that, we'd better be careful about how we approach them," warned Miroku.

"Maybe you're afraid of them but I'm not," declared Inuyasha. "I'm going to march right up there and..."

"Sit boy!" said Kagome, interrupting Inuyasha's speech. Inuyasha's necklace pulled his head down with such force that it slammed it into the ground. 

"Smart move, now let's get out of here," said Miroku.

The team returned to the nearest village to rest and decide their next move. The village consisted of homes constructed from wood chopped from local trees. They were fairly crudely constructed and matched the architecture of a feudal time period. Fires burned within the neighbourhood busy smithy's forge and smoke billowed into the sky. In flooded fields just north of the town, farmers gathered their crop of rice and loaded it into nearby wagons pulled by beasts of burden. The people were relatively poor but seemed fairly content.

From one of the houses emerged an elderly woman in Shinto priestess garb to greet Inuyasha's group. She had lost an eye through some unknown incident and had it covered by an eye patch. "Welcome," greeted this priestess, Kaede. "What did ye see?"

"Hello Kaede," said Kagome. "The demons around the well are gone. A big explosion wiped out all of them out. A few minutes later, some people crawled through and took over the area. We didn't stay there long. We didn't want to risk confronting them."

"You're one to talk. If you didn't stop me I'd have gotten all the answers we're looking for!" growled Inuyasha.

"I see child," remarked Kaede. "Aye, they seem very powerful indeed. A confrontation with them is ill advised given that we know so little about them. I think you should forget these newcomers for now and return to investigating the demon attacks. I heard that there had recently been one on the village to the north. Lord Morikage's men repelled them, so thou may wish to speak with them for clues." 

The gang travelled north to the village as Kaede suggested. They found another village similar to Kaede's, but this one farmed vegetables instead of rice. Several armed soldiers stood guard around a great bonfire burning in the edges of town. One by one, the village's men tossed the cut up demon corpses into the flames. Such a rite ensured that no resurrection or necromantic usage of the body would be possible. The other villagers were overjoyed to see hated demons burning and cheered on the spectacle with a boisterousness rarely seen amongst farmers.

All of a sudden, a terrifying growl resounded through the air. The soldiers overseeing the bonfire rushed from their posts and grabbed whatever weapon they could from a nearby rack. The men formed a line in front of a large oni, with pikes outstretched to halt its advance. The creature reared back as archers fired dozens of arrows into it which only bounce off its armour-like skin. The pike men lunged with their pikes which forced the oni to rear back in defence. In a fit of rage, the demon smashed his massive club into the men, shattering several pikes and fatally flattening three men in the process.

At that point, Inuyasha's team had decided to intervene. Sango make the first strike, throwing the Hiraikotsu, a gigantic boomerang made from demon bones. Caught off guard, the demon had been decapitated in a single slice. The group watched as other men rushed to halt the advance of other assorted demons approaching the village. These demons were like serpents, only with various heads such as those from a dragon, an ugly human man, and insects. These monsters swarmed a group of swordsmen, who fought valiantly to drive the monsters back. 

Inuyasha charged into battle, with his sword Tessaiga drawn. The half-demon swordsman sliced four of the enemy with a single stroke that left pieces strewn on the ground. Drawing her bow, Kagome let an arrow loose which glowed pink with spiritual power. The arrow pierced through two of the demons like a laser beam. Shippo threw ghostly blue flames into the enemy while Miroku smashed them with his golden staff. It was not long before Inuyasha's group killed all of the attacking demons. When it was all over, the leader of the men came to thank them.

"You helped us drive the demons away. Thank you very much. I'm Captain Hiro and these are my men. We really appreciate the help."

"You're welcome," said Kagome.

"Captain, we're demon hunters," announced Miroku. "We're investigating the recent demon attacks on the local villages. Do you know anything that can help us?" 

"Well, this demon attack was the second one this week. I've also heard that the villages north of here have also suffered demon attacks recently. If you want to know more, I think it would be best to talk to my lord," suggested the captain. "He is Lord Morikage. I'll write him a message about you." The captain took a piece of parchment and wrote the message. "My lord is camped in an abandoned castle near the forest to the north. Good luck in your investigation, monk."

Inuyasha's group travelled to the north, where they found the ruins of a Japanese castle just before a great forest. A sea of tents was pitched around the courtyard where the soldiers stayed between missions. They numbered in the hundreds, each armed with katanas and spears, with a few being full-fledged samurai. These men were not from the local area. In fact, Lord Morikage was a lord from the northern provinces. He had great success expanding his territory and began to invade the southern provinces recently.

At the moment, Japan was undergoing severe political turmoil and instability. Power in the time of the Warring States was decentralized and fell into the hands of regional lords. Hostile demons and bandits wandered the land with impunity, free from wrath of a central authority. It was during this tumultuous time that Inuyasha and his friends searched for the Shikon Jewel. Indeed, it was a very dangerous time and caution was necessary if one wanted to travel abroad. This time was made even more dangerous by bold demon attacks on local villages.

When Inuyasha's gang reached the doors of Morikage's headquarters, a pair of guards stopped them. Miroku showed them the message from Hiro, which prompted the guards to escort them into the presence of Lord Morikage himself. Morikage was a man in his late thirties, but his hair was already beginning to grey. Being his age was akin to old age in such ancient times as the Warring States period where people had a shortened lifespan due to lack of medical advances. The moustachioed man was dressed in a black robe with white garments underneath.

The team bowed before the lord. "Welcome my friends; I hear you've been sent to me by one of my men."

"Yes my lord. We are demon hunters," announced Miroku. "We are investigating the recent increase in demon attacks upon local villages. We encountered your men during our search and helped them fend off the attacks of such demons."

"Indeed, I've received word of your deeds from Captain Hiro. I'm very grateful for what you have done," replied the lord.

"My lord, can you give us any information on the demon attacks?" asked Sango. 

"Certainly," replied the lord. "From the reports of my men, who've fought these demons, they seem to be coming from the north. I can't give you anything more specific than that, I'm afraid. If you are going to find the source of these attacks, I would greatly appreciate that. I'll even give a generous bounty if you can stop whoever or whatever is making these demons so aggressive."

"Thank you, my lord," said Miroku.

The gang travelled to the north, through sun lit plains and verdant forests. With the speed of Inuyasha and Kilala, travel was quick and painless. They spotted a village just a few kilometres ahead and travelled there to ask for clues. The village was much like any other Japanese village of the era. The villagers were relatively poor and lived off the land by growing vegetables and raising animals. Like the last village, this village had several squads of Morikage's men occupying it. Kagome entered the village and began to inquire about the demons. Miroku set off to "discover" the village's attractive young women.

"Hi ladies! The weather's nice, isn't it?" The girls chuckled as he proceeded to flirt with them. Miroku turned to another and grabbed her hand. "Would you like to bear my child?"

Sango noticed Kagome returning and revealing her discoveries to Inuyasha and Shippo. Irate at his lecherous behaviour, Sango decked Miroku in the back of the head. "If you don't mind, Kagome just found our next lead."

* * *

Meanwhile, a similar attack had taken place in another village elsewhere in Japan. Unlike the villages visited by Inuyasha and his companions, this one was populated by demons. They were creatures roughly humanoid in body shape, but had the traits of animals mixed into their genetic makeup. They ranged from almost any type of animal that could be found in a forest from rabbits and raccoons to foxes and bears. The bear men were in the process of removing the bodies of fallen demons and cleaning the area. Many of these demons had been hacked and blown to pieces during battle. Trunks and a crew of Valiance agents surveyed the area with the demonic authorities.

At the scene was the lord of the land, a mysterious young man in the black garb of a Feudal lord. "How's the progress on removing these bodies?"

"We've have cleared about 70 of the demon bodies, Lord Naraku. We are making steady progress," reported a horse-headed work demon.

"Good, give me regular progress reports," ordered Naraku. He turned to Faust. "So, you claim that demons like these ones have attacked your people?"

"Yes, they took part in an attack on a Toon city as well as the theft of a vital artefact from the Digital Nations. Our pursuit let us here."

"I see," replied Naraku. "Your Kakashi and my servants are searching for clues. Perhaps they can shed more light on this mystery. If you don't mind, I must take my leave. I am late for my meeting." Naraku and his retinue walked past Faust and flew into the air as a mass of violet toxic gas.

Out in a forest somewhere north of Naraku's lands, Kakashi and his squad of ninja approached an area where the forest met the plains. The air was sweet with the smell of bamboo and cherry blossoms in bloom. These were lands that were pure, untouched by the encroachment of man-made cities that inevitably came with the rise of science and technology. The ninja spotted a cave at the mountain ahead while scanning through a crude telescope. The entrance of the cave was flanked by a pair of rather large guard onis; bearded, horned, red-skinned creatures that carried large wooden clubs. There were signs of motion deeper into the cave, which was lit from within by wall-mounted torches.

A group of human horsemen arrived and dismounted near the entrance of the cave. "That's Lord Morikage!" announced one of the ninja, a gremlin-like creature.

"Lord Morikage? You mean the lord who is invading this area?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, I'd recognize him anywhere. It's definitely him. What's he doing here?" asked the ninja almost rhetorically.

"He has entered the cave. We need to go in and see what's inside," said Sasuke.

"Indeed," replied Kakashi. "So Sakura, why don't you take this job?"

"Of course, sensei," replied Sakura.

The guards at the entrance panned their gaze around in search of anything that might be out of the ordinary. Outside of his field of vision, one of the demon ninjas snuck up to the guard on the left as quietly as a cat stalking its prey. The ninja raised a blowgun to his mouth and blew a small object into the guard's neck. The demon guard felt a small sting and grabbed his neck as though he had been bitten by an insect. Barely a split second later, the demon collapsed to ground. His buddy went to check on his fallen comrade, only feel the same insect bite him and collapse to the ground.

Sasuke, the second attacker, motioned to Sakura to enter the cave. The two moved into the cave, a natural creation lit only by torches. The cave was dark and cool to the skin, but the darkness was the perfect thing to conceal the ninja. The path forked into an intersection shaped like a "T," where Sakura took the right path. As she travelled deeper, Sakura emerged in a hallway lit by fluorescent lights. The lights were powered by electricity and the cave became much more metallic and symmetrical, a sign of human construction and habitation. Sakura passed through this area without incident until she overheard a pair of conversing guards approaching. 

She immediately used a jutsu to make herself appear as though she was the wall. She sighed with relief once the guards passed by without noticing her. She snuck deeper into the caves until she came upon a great room that had been dug out of the earth and stone. It appeared to be a laboratory of some kind with great machines monitored by several workers. On each machine was a glass-covered holder for hatching an egg. The air reeked of fecal matter blowing in from nearby cages carved out of the wall. Several monstrous baby demons gorged themselves on meaty treats, growling and hissing as they devoured their meal.

Sakura snuck into a neighbouring hallway where she came upon what appeared to be the living quarters of the cave. This place was much more decorated than the rest of the enemy hideout. It had potted plants and paintings lined up on the side of the walls. There were rows of doors, each leading to either an enemy's quarters or the facilities they would use. A pair of individuals, one male, the other female, were conversing around the corner unaware of Sakura's presence. Sakura used a jutsu to take on the appearance of a rat and snuck onto a potted plant to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Some demon hunters are snooping around. It won't be long before they find this cave. If they discover my involvement, they'll be coming after me next!" said the male voice.

"Don't worry about it. We have everything under control," assured the woman. "They can find this cave if they want. In fact, I'm counting on it. I have a little surprise in store for them when they show up. Lead those chumps this way and we'll do the rest."

"Okay, I'll leave everything in your hands," replied the man.

The man turned around and walked deeper into the cave. Sakura caught a brief glimpse of the man, recognizing him as Lord Morikage, who had entered this place earlier. The woman turned the corner and walked down the hallway from which Sakura eavesdropped on them. From the descriptions and photos Kakashi had given to her, she recognized the woman as Leguma! Knowing of Leguma's links to Omnipotence, she now knew just who was responsible for the strange events occurring on Demonic Earth. With this information, Sakura now knew the secret behind Morikage's military success.

This cave was in fact a demon hatchery, a place for Omnipotence to raise demons. With Omnipotence's demons, Morikage now had troops which could launch attacks that would not be traced back to him. With this power, it would be easy to wear down rival warlords without sacrificing any of his men or fear of retaliation. Sakura remembered the word that spread around about Morikage's successful efforts to route demons and made the connection. It was Morikage who was sending the demons to attack the villages. By having his men kill them, he effectively garnered popular support to his rule.

Omnipotence also benefited greatly from this arrangement, as Morikage's lands and those he conquered represented new territory for Omnipotence to base operations. Since much of the conquered lands were rural and meant for farming, Demonic Japan would become a breadbasket for Omnipotence terrorists. Having overheard the conversation, Sakura decided to report it and the conclusions she had made. As she snuck out of the cave, she passed by the two guards at the front who were still unconscious. Unnoticed, a third spy bounded out the darkness, one who was virtually impossible to see in the darkness due to his small size. This spy, a mere flea demon, bounced through the cave's opening into the light of day.

* * *

Inuyasha's demon hunters found themselves in yet another village, this one just south of the border to Morikage's original territory. It was a small farming community much like the others. Barefoot men and women toiled in rice fields, the sweat from the hot afternoon sun beading on their brows. Morikage's men were not as omnipresent in this village, their only territory being limited to a small guard station. As a generous donation to the demon hunting party, the villagers fed them a meal of beef and rice flavoured with soy sauce. The demon hunters savoured the tasty food with flavouring from few additions from Kagome's home world.

That night, as Kagome sat near the fire, she reminisced about the past. Though normally, Kagome was glad to go to the Feudal Era to visit her friend Inuyasha and the rest of the gang, this visit was filled with uncertainty instead. This visit was actually forced upon her by events back in her home world. It all began when Kagome woke up one morning. The sun was bright that day and the birds were chirping. Like everyday in her life, Kagome performed her morning routine, from brushing her hair and her teeth, to eating breakfast with her family, and then heading off to school.

The classes at her school were nothing out of the ordinary, an hour of Japanese lessons in the morning followed by an hour of mathematics. When she finally hit the lunch room for her noon break, a group of friends sat down at the table beside her. "Hi Kagome, another boring day, huh?" asked one of her friends, Eri, as she sat at the table opposite Kagome with Ayumi.

"Oh hi, Eri, yeah, nothing but Kanji, Hiragana, and numbers. It's making my head spin," said Kagome as she slumped into her hand.

"Yeah, Miss Izumi is a motor mouth. I never thought I'd get out of there..." said Yuka as she sat down next to Kagome.

A handsome young boy entered the lunchroom while moving a portable TV set. "Hey, it's Hojo!" whispered Eri.

"He's looking your way Kagome! This is your big chance!" whispered Yuka.

"Don't blow this one. He's coming over!"

"Hey everybody!" Hojo announced to the cafeteria, showing a small, portable TV to everyone. "There's something big happening on the news!"

The lunchroom crowded around Hojo as he turned on the TV set. The event Hojo was referring to was the presence of six unidentified ships in orbit above the Earth. The news displayed the vehicles, which were metal objects with organic curves. These heavily armed warships looked to have come straight out of a sci-fi drama. When the authorities attempted to hail the ships, they received no response. After several minutes of silence, they received an ultimatum from the captain. "This is the Bonfire, flagship of the Abh Empire. We demand that you surrender the city of Tokyo and the surrounding area to us immediately or we will open fire."

That announcement made the people realize that they were about to be invaded by aliens. It sent a wave of panic throughout Tokyo the likes of which no one had ever seen before. Terrified corporate workers clogged the highways as they rushed back home to gather their belongings and family to flee the city. The inevitable accident happened when an overzealous, panicked man tried to weave through the road to pass the cars ahead. Another car from a distant lane passed into his resulting in them grinding their cars. The driver behind them was step to slow in braking, ramming his vehicle straight into the first two. Three more cars crashed into the third driver, creating a massive pile up on the highway.

The United Nations decided not to comply with these threats and ordered the launch of nuclear missiles at the invading ships. However, the Abh detected the launch of the weapons. No sooner than they made escape velocity that they were shot down by Abh energy weapons. In retaliation, the Abh launched missiles of their own targeting the missile silos on the planet. Like a streak of light, the missiles impacted the silos with devastating force that reduced the surrounding area to ash. The Abh commenced the invasion of the Earth. Like meteors, several smaller ships descended onto the planet.

Upon landing, hundreds of elven men and women in grey stormed out of the drop ships. Without regard for the people, they opened fire on whoever they saw, even if they were unarmed civilians. From the space above, the Abh ships supported their efforts, raining down destruction on whoever attempted to approach Tokyo city. The Abh took firing positions and fired at police behind cover. Bullets zinged by in one direction while energy came soaring from the other. An Abh activated a grenade and hurled it into police lines. The explosion hurled officers everywhere, landing into heaps on the ground. It was clear that regular police officers were no match for highly trained soldiers armed with futuristic weaponry.

Back in the lunch room, the students rushed to escape, terrified out of their minds. "Kagome! Kagome! Where are you?" called Hojo as he waded through the bodies of students.

Kagome was already far away from the school, having climbed out of a window to escape. She had nearly ran all the way back home to her shrine to search for her family. When she got there, her family was already leaving. "Kagome! Over here!" cried her mother.

Before she could respond, a drop ship landed on the street between them. The men rushed out and opened fire on her and her family, forcing Kagome to head for cover behind the corner of her shrine's base. Kagome ran down the alleyway, hearing the footsteps of the men chasing her. She burst through a side door in the wooden fence, just moments before a set of energy bolts zinged past her from behind. She ran into the only place she knew she could escape, the well that led to the Feudal Era. She bust through the door with soldiers still hot on her trail. Without looking back, she dove into the well and passed through time and space to the Feudal Era.

"Kagome, are you okay?" asked Inuyasha.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"It's your family isn't it? Listen, I'm sure your family will be fine," said Inuyasha. "I can tell they're smart people. I'm sure they would have went somewhere faraway where the aliens can't get them." 

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Kagome. 

"Ain't I always?" asked Inuyasha. Kagome's telling, silent stare was the only answer he received. "Hey, you don't have to give me the silent treatment you know! Well, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

The next morning, a sudden a series of earthquakes shook the room. Bits of straw tumbled from the roof of the hut onto Kagome's face. Her water-filled earthenware cups and pitchers tipped over, spilling their unfinished contents onto the ground. Kagome was rattled by the sudden movement of the ground and was unable to get off of her bed. Inuyasha rushed into the room to check up on Kagome's condition. He urged her to leave the hut and check outside. It was then that she saw what appeared to be a vortex of blue energy above a mountain.

"That's got to be where the demons are coming from!" stated Inuyasha. "Hurry up Kagome, or we'll leave you behind!"

"I'm coming!" cried Kagome as she hopped onto the fully grown Kilala's back.

The demon hunters raced to investigate the strange phenomenon at the mountain. As they drew closer, they could make out the inhuman shapes of demons patrolling the area. Down below, Sango could make out a series of explosions emanating from the side in the distance. An explosion would flare up on occasion, followed by the disjointed screeching of arrows in flight. The explosions lit the forest below in the light of orange flame. There was clearly a war being fought down there, with one side likely to be Morikage's men, due to this area being his home territory.

"There's a battle over there," remarked Sango.

"It's probably some lords fighting over territory. We can't worry about that now," dismissed Miroku. "That strange light we saw came from straight ahead. We have to investigate it as soon as possible."

The demon hunters spotted a cavern in the mountain and landed on plains near the base of the mountains. The group rushed the guards, taking initiative on the attack. Inuyasha slammed his sword, the Tessaiga, onto the ground, unleashing jets of piercing whirlwinds which forked outward. The immense power of this attack, the Wind Scar, tore those oni guards to pieces, alerting others to his presence. Kagome reared back her bow string and let an arrow rip. The arrow glowed with pink, holy light as flew forward and punched through the bodies of demons like a laser.

Sango slashed an attacking demon with her boomerang, Hiraikotsu, and motioned to her team mates. "Okay, we got the first of them. Let's clean out the rest of the cave!" 

The demon hunters rushed into the cave and were greeted by a horde of demons. They were serpentine creatures with the heads of any and every creature imaginable from animals to humans and even onis. Inuyasha fired off a Wind Scar which blasted the whole lot of them into pieces. Still more demons came out to replace the fallen, prompting Sango to throw Hiraikotsu into them. The gigantic boomerang sliced through demons like a saw blade, leaving nothing behind but scraps of flesh. Kagome let a sacred arrow rip while Shippo threw ghostly blue flames at the horde.

Still more demons came to replace their losses. "We won't get anywhere like this," warned Miroku, who promptly unsealed the cloth which covered his right hand.

This act opened what he called the "Wind Tunnel," a massive void of darkness which pulled everything into it like a vacuum cleaner. This ability came from a curse placed upon him by Lord Naraku. It was punishment for lecherous behaviour towards his female servants, which greatly offended him. This powerful black hole sucked the entire horde of demons into it, wiping out the lot of them without him having to brandish a weapon. After three seconds of swallowing demons, Miroku spotted a massive group of demonic wasps approaching.

"Saimyosho!" he cried, resealing his Wind Tunnel.

Inuyasha smashed his sword against the ground, letting another Wind Scar lash out of his blade. The attack slashed the bugs into pieces, clearing out the tunnel in the process. "That was the last of them."

"Let's go deeper. There may be more," urged Sango.

The group entered the next room, which was not quite what they expected from a demon-infested cave. "A lab, in the Feudal Era?" remarked Kagome, taking in the sights around her. In this lab were holding cells, all of which were empty. It was likely that those demons were once the occupants of these cages. "Who could've built this?" Before she had time to think about that, she noticed an object land on the ground. It resembled a small green pineapple made out of metal. "Run!" 

She pulled Inuyasha back to the others just moments before the object exploded. At that moment, dozens of men in ski masks stormed the room, fanning out and taking up strategic positions. They fired energy weapons at the demon hunters, who were still stunned at the identity of their new attackers. "Just who the hell are these guys?" wondered Inuyasha.

"I think they're humans!" remarked Sango. "...But I don't recall any human ever having weapons like those."

The men hurled a second grenade near them. "Fall back!" cried Miroku.

The demon hunters backed into the T-intersection, safely avoiding the explosion of the grenade. They made a run for the exit only to be beset by demons. Inuyasha slashed at the demons, which crumbled into pieces after the first slash. "We're boxed in!"

"It's a trap! They wanted us to find this place," said Sango as she slashed demons with Hiraikotsu.

More demons flooded into the cavern, which forced Kagome into firing a sacred arrow. "We can't keep this up forever."

The demons continued to storm the cavern, not caring if they were killed in the rush. They seemed totally intent on swarming the demon hunters, either overrunning them or forcing them to back into the line of fire of the soldiers. Miroku prepared to unseal his Wind Tunnel until he spotted Saimyosho among the demons. With them in the demonic horde, using the Wind Tunnel was out of the question. Sango threw the Hiraikotsu into the horde, slicing a massive swath through the stream of monsters. Despite the massacre of so many of their numbers in a single attack, the demons pressed their advance.

Inuyasha threw a Wind Scar into the crowd, killing dozens of demons only to have them be replaced by others. They swarmed over the half-demon, who slashed with the Tessaiga to drive them away. One came close to his head, but Inuyasha moved his blade in the nick of time to cut off the demon. Kagome fired a sacred arrow, destroying enough demons to give him a reprieve. "I don't know how long I can keep this up..." warned Shippo, whose breathing was laboured from exhaustion.

Miroku lunged at demons with his staff, disintegrating them each with a single hit. A serpentine dragon slipped through his guard, ramming him onto his back. "Miroku!" cried Sango, who threw the Hiraikotsu to clear the demons. She quickly slipped in and pulled Miroku back to the line formed by Inuyasha and the others.

"Ow, I'm fine," said Miroku as he struggled to get up, despite having suffered severely bruised ribs. "We have to keep fighting." 

"You pitiful twisted creatures not of this world... " began a female chanting. "By the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee, begone to the nexus of our two worlds! Megiddo Flare!" 

A flash of white light, almost bright enough to blind, filled the cavern. The saintly radiance overtook the demons, consuming them in a tide of whiteness. The demon hunters who had covered their eyes from this light, moved their hands away to ascertain the situation. All of the demons that had swarmed the cavern had vanished. "Hey, over here!" cried the source of the radiance, Amelia.

With an intuitive understanding of the situation, the demon hunters fled the cavern through its only entrance. Outside, Meilin channelled great amounts power, enough to shake the very earth. The Earthy card brought several boulders tumbling down the side of the mountain, sealing the cavern's entrance completely. Before Inuyasha's group could even thank their saviours, hordes of demons surrounded both groups. However, the demons remained motionless, as though watching their prey. With weapons drawn, the two groups kept their backs to each other as they watched for any signs of aggressive action from the enemy.

The demons parted to create a path for their master, Lord Naraku, to approach. Accompanying him were his vassals, one woman and one young girl. The woman was dressed in a kimono and carried a fan in her hand. She had scarlet eyes that lacked pupils, ears pointed like that of an elf, and a feather ornament in her black hair, which was tied around a stick. The emotionless girl had a white, almost lifeless pallor with hair and robes to match. She carried a single circular mirror in her hands. They were known as Kagura and Kanna respectively.

"Naraku, what is the meaning of this?" asked Amelia.

"This is nothing personal," replied the demonic lord. "I'm just casting my lot in with the winning team. At this very moment, my army should be joining forces with Morikage's to slaughter yours."

"You traitor!" decried Morty. "After everything we did for you, this is how you repay us?"

"If I recall correctly, I never asked for your help. You volunteered it. Now that I've gotten what I wanted, I don't need you anymore."

"I knew it. I knew trusting an evil-doer like you was a mistake!" decried Amelia. "If only they had listened to me."

"Oh yes, that's one mistake you won't ever make again, because you won't be around to do so. Demons, devour their flesh!" ordered Naraku. 

The demons rushed the two groups, intent on killing them for their master. However, they would not go down without a fight. Meilin immediately invoked the Shield card, encasing her allies within a protective bubble of eerie azure light. The demons rammed into the bubble, which halted their advance like a wall. Morty lunged with his flaming hammer, which let out a burst of flame upon contact with a demon's head. Sonic dashed out of the bubble and into the flanks of the demons' ranks. Some of them decided to turn around and pursue, but it was futile gesture since they were far too slow to catch him. Sonic zipped away from the snapping jaws of a demon and returned with a crushing leaping kick to the head.

Naraku summoned more demons to replace the ones killed by his enemies. "Kagura, Kanna, eliminate them!"

Kagura made a sweep with her fan which blew several blades of wind towards the groups. Amelia was prepared for this move, blocking this move with a barrier of lucid light. Once she dropped the barrier, Morty threw his hammer, but Kagura leapt out of the way. Upon striking the ground, the hammer unleashed a violent burst of flame which would have surely incinerated Kagura had she been a split second too slow. The hammer flew back to Morty's outstretched hand like a boomerang. During the exchange, Kanna saw an opening to use her unholy mirror on the boy. 

Strands of ethereal white energy leaked out of the mirror and attached themselves to Morty. They proceeded to drain his energy, an effect which Morty resisted through his training as a shaman. Kanna stepped up her mirror's soul draining efforts, as she found it difficult to drain the young shaman's life energy. Morty responded in turn, keeping his defence's up. Suddenly, Meilin raised the Shield card's protective barrier over him. "Morty, you alright?" asked Meilin.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.

In attempting to attack Morty, Kanna left herself open to attack. Unnoticed by her, Sonic had devised a plan to remove her mirror. He dodged a demon that came at his head. However, the demon positioned itself perfectly for Sonic to kick it. He hit the monster with such force that it flew straight into Kanna, knocking her onto the ground. Her mirror slipped out of her hands and landed on the ground some distance away. In the meantime, Kagura dodged a volley of Flare Arrow spells from Amelia. After landing from a jump, she created several devastating tornadoes which Amelia shielded with a barrier of lucid light.

Morty threw his hammer, which Kagura narrowly dodged at the last possible moment. However, it broke her attention on Amelia long enough for her to prepare another spell. Kagura leapt over the incoming fireball, but the sheer force of the explosion was enough to disrupt her mid-leap. She landed on the ground in time to spot Inuyasha's Wind Scar tearing up the ground as it raced towards her. She tried to leap out the way once again, but was a split second too slow. The fierce winds tore up vast portions of her kimono until she was literally wearing only scraps of clothing.

"You pitiful twisted creatures not of this world... " began Amelia's chanting. "By the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee, begone to the nexus of our two worlds! Megiddo Flare!"

Once again, the flash of white consumed the area. Each demon touched by the luminescence disintegrated instantly. Kagura felt her body burn as it was swallowed whole by the light. Kanna made a desperate dive to retrieve her mirror and raised it just in time to defend herself. The light swallowed Naraku whole, disintegrating him into a pile of dust. However, though Amelia's tactic would be the smart thing to do under most circumstances, it was a tactical error in this one. The light also caught Inuyasha, burning his partially demonic flesh painfully. It also made contact with Shippo and Kilala, who cried in pain as it burned their bodies as well.

Meilin immediately raised the Shield card over her friends, protecting them from the harmful light. When the Megiddo Flare took its course, Meilin dropped her barrier. "Amelia! Watch where you use that thing!" cried Meilin.

"Yeah, we have demons in our party too! You could've killed them!" cried Kagome.

Amelia made a guilty laugh as she shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry!" The members of Inuyasha's party glared at her with irate expressions. 

"Retreat, we've done what we've came to do!" cried Kagura. She plucked the feather ornament from her hair, which enlarged so as to be able to carry a human sized occupant. She and Kanna leapt onto the feather and fled through the air before their enemies could follow them.

In the meantime, Morty answered a call from his radio. "Uh huh, got it. We'll be there ASAP." He turned to the others. "That was Trunks. What Naraku told us was true. His demons blindsided our forces, but our armies managed repel the enemy and escape. We've retreated back to the well camp. We're supposed to go there once we're done here."

"Okay, but what do we do about those guys?" asked Sonic, referring to Inuyasha's demon hunting gang.

"Well, I guess they're free to go. They never said anything about them," replied Morty. 

"Hold on," interrupted Inuyasha. "I want to know just who are you guys are and what are you doing here?" 

Morty explained about Valiance and its opposition to the Omnipotence terrorist group. "Terrorists?" asked Kagome. 

"They took over leadership of the Abh alien race, which has attacked several anime worlds," replied Sonic.

"That's right. Omnipotence was backing the Abh. They were backing Lord Morikage too. We came here to catch them," said Morty.

"So the people who have invaded Kagome's home were in that cave and we were fighting them the whole time?" asked Inuyasha in his mind. 

"So you came all the way here just to catch these people?" asked Miroku.

"Yeah, we found out those villains were helping Lord Morikage trick his subjects into following him. We got Lord Naraku to help us too, but then he backstabbed us and joined with the evil doers!" said Amelia. "Well, we showed him that justice triumphs in the end!"

Sango picked up a toy left abandoned on the ground. It resembled a wooden needle's eye with strings coiled around it. "Not quite. Naraku's still very much alive. All you killed was his puppet." Sango walked over to Amelia and gave her the object, which dampened her spirits somewhat.

"We're going to leave soon. What are you going to do?" asked Morty.

The demon hunters huddled together to discuss their next course of action. "We'd like to learn more about the Abh and Omnipotence," replied Kagome. "Can you take us back to your camp so we can speak to someone there?" 

"I guess it's okay," replied Morty.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#16 Tensyo, The Swift Star: Kagome (Inuyasha)  
#22 Tensatsu, The Murderous Star: Inuyasha (Inuyasha)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#49 Chitou, The Folding Star: Miroku (Inuyasha)  
#53 Chikai, The Star of Gathering: Shippo (Inuyasha)  
#85 Chifuku, The Hiding Star: Sango (Inuyasha)

Spotlight: Inuyasha

The anime Inuyasha follows the adventures of high school girl Kagome Higurashi and a half human, half dog demon named Inuyasha. One day, Kagome went near the well in her family's shrine and is dragged into the Feudal Era by a centipede demon. The demon's relentless attack forces Kagome into removing the arrow that sealed Inuyasha and kept him pinned and sleeping against a tree. It turned out that this demon wanted the Shikon Jewel, an object of terrible power which was hidden in Kagome's body. Eventually, events lead to the jewel being shattered, so with Inuyasha by her side, she went off on a journey to reassemble the jewel, meeting several companions along the way. 

Origin:  
Demonic Earth is a modern world with a subservient world permanently stuck in the Feudal Era of Japan. Unlike the normal Feudal Era, the legends are true in this one. Real demons roam the wilderness and monks and priestesses try to protect humanity as best they can. While anyone can use science, most individuals must either be born a demon for demonic powers or become a monk or priestess to develop holy powers. Kagome is an exception, having inherited her spiritual powers from another priestess, Kikyo, without any formal training. Miroku is another, a monk who offended Lord Naraku and was cursed with the Wind Tunnel as a result. 

Powers:  
The powers of Demonic Earth are based on ki as it is a world derived from Japanese mysticism. Most humans in Feudal Japan gain holy powers from the Shinto religion and become monks and priestesses. Their holy spiritual powers purify and protect the land and people from corruption. They are particularly effective at combating the powers of the demons that roam the wilderness. Demonic powers, on the other hand, can be very corruptive depending on which demonic powers are used. Humans have been known to get demonic power through a pact or a curse from a demon.

Modern Japan, where Kagome hails from, has developed technology equivalent to modern Earth. It has computers, electronics, nuclear power, and the technology to enter space. It has yet to develop faster than light engines let alone create colonies of any significant size on another celestial body. Its counterpart, the Feudal Era has the same technology of the Feudal Era of the real Japan. They can create steel and crude gunpowder, which is pretty much the height of their technological advancement.


	17. Disarmament Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Disarmament Story, part 2: Cowboy Spike **

On the surface of the Earth, one of many in the anime worlds, was the results of a great disaster. After the disaster took place, humanity had more than two thirds of its population wiped out. Years ago, humanity made the first of several hyperspace gates. A great accident involving the gates took place near the Earth. It cracked the moon, causing pieces of it to rain on the Earth like meteors. Now, only the poorest of the poor lived there, as they lacked the means or the will to leave this forgotten world. Those who could escape took to the stars, where they created new homes from the harsh landscape of the other planets and moons in the Solar System. 

On the surface of Mars, great cities had sprung up in the craters made by the impacts of ancient meteors. The craters had been domed over by a transparent, plastic-like substance which shielded the vulnerable citizens from the ravages of the outside world. The city was bustling with activity as cars and people filled the streets for miles on end. These people didn't realize it yet, but events in other anime worlds would soon involve them as well. In the space above, the great ship known as the Blue Typhoon emerged from a doorway of chaotically swirling energy and light.

Meanwhile, a space capable fishing vessel soared through the Solar System within a hyperspace corridor. The ship was fairly old and though the salty waters had worn its hull, the ship was still in a workable condition. Its elongated front had a runway for launching ships from an internal hangar. As this ship, the Bebop, traversed hyperspace, the elongated stars and planets zoomed by like streaks of light. The Bebop ended its trip at Jupiter's water-covered moon of Ganymede. At the Bebop's lounge, a laid back bounty hunter with frizzy green hair turned on the television to the show named "Big Shot." Next to him was a gorgeous Asian woman in hot pants reclining on the back.

"Hey Spike, Faye we've got a big one here! Come see!" called a gruff male voice to the two.

The show Big Shot opened with a raucous trumpeting. A Black cowboy spoke with a forced combination of a mid-Western drawl and Mexican accent. "Hello bounty hunters! Welcome to another episode of Big Shot!"

The cowboy's cowgirl companion, a ditzy blonde wearing on open jacket, continued the show. "Our first bounty for today is a man who is wanted so badly that they are willing to pay top Woolong for his capture. Tell them, Punch."

"Sure thing, Judy," continued Punch. "Our bounty is Lord Vicontiel Dunner, who's wanted for arms running and abetting subversive groups." Big Shot displayed a photograph of a sullen, thickset Abh with a rather large bounty listed under his photo. "Yep, you saw that right. That is a 300,000,000 Woolong bounty on him."

Judy gave a high-pitched whistle just to emphasize how large the bounty truly was. "Man, he's been a bad boy. That strange appearance is because he is an alien. The ISSP has urged caution to anyone attempting to apprehend him. He is armed, dangerous, and may possibly have superhuman abilities."

"So Jet, what did you find?" asked Spike.

"Check out this new bounty," said Jet, who was seated in front of a computer. "It's on a man named Vicontiel Dunner. He's been supplying weapons to terrorist groups and insurgents in other anime worlds."

"Blue hair and pointed ears?" asked Spike.

"Yep, he's an alien, an Abh actually. Oh, and check his bounty."

"HOLY COW!" blurted Spike. "...300,000,000 Woolong for an arms runner?"

"Yep, they really want to nab him badly. My contacts tell me he's been running weapons for a terrorist group called 'Omnipotence.' That group has been launching several attacks on other anime worlds. It got so bad that the governments couldn't take it anymore, so they all joined up and put up the bounty." 

"So what are we waiting for? Let's grab him and get our money!" said Faye.

"Whoa, it won't be as easy as you say. Since he's an alien, he might have some weird psychic powers or something he can use against us," warned Jet. "We have to be ready for anything if we try to get him."

Nevertheless, Spike could not resist the temptation of a 300,000,000 Woolong bounty. He was not dissuaded from pursuing the bounty at all. "Superhuman abilities or no, I'm still going after him. If you're chickening out then..."

"Who said anything about chickening out?" asked Jet. "It's a 300,000,000 Woolong bounty. Of course I'm going to try for it!"

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" objected Faye.

Spike sighed. "You want him too?"

"Of course."

* * *

During the next day, the crew of the Bebop questioned their contacts for any information on the whereabouts of Vicontiel Dunner. The Abh arms runner proved to be an elusive character, constantly one step ahead of the bounty hunters on his trail. After consulting every available contact, the Bebop crew picked up Lord Dunner's trail on Mars, the red planet. They found themselves in Red Phoenix City, a metropolis with a distinctly Asian motif. The sidewalks were lined with shops from the Far East such as exotic herbal shops to more mundane Asian restaurants.

Daylight came and went, bringing about the bustle of the nightlife. Clubs, bars, and other less reputable establishments opened their doors with neon flashing lights. Down the street travelled a black van with tinted windows. Inside were three men of unscrupulous countenance. One in particular stood out from the others. He was a sullen Abh man dressed in a trench coat. On his head was a fedora that covered his hair and the tips of his pointed ears. The man scanned around with a nervous vigilance, as though fearful of being followed. In the back of his vehicle was a large cloth canvas draped over a large pile of unknown items.

The van pulled up beside the remains of an abandoned biscuit factory. The factory's interior was covered in cobwebs, having been unused by humans for over five years. The baking machines were rusted to uselessness and covered by cobwebs like the rest of the factory. Though the conveyor belt was covered with dirt, it was likely the only thing that was even marginally salvageable. As he emerged from the darkness, a second man shined a flashlight on Dunner. This unknown man was flanked by a pair of thugs. This man and his guards were dressed in blue, military-style camouflage pants, combat vests, and blue berets. Their uniforms were that of the Natural supremacist group, Blue Cosmos.

"So do you have it?" asked the Blue Cosmos leader.

"Yeah," replied Dunner, who spread out a series of schematics for the viewing of the Blue Cosmos leader.

They were schematics for new weapons being developed by Positron Weapons Inc., a prominent weapons manufacturer in Bebop. Space-faring craft in Bebop had energy-based weapons, but still lacked energy-based defences to counteract the ever increasing power of the weapons. Positron was setting out to correct that problem with the first in a line of energy-based shielding systems. Positron was having great success in their research and had successfully constructed a working prototype. The schematics in the leader's possession were for this prototype shield. 

"Now, where is my money?" asked Dunner.

"Right here, old friend," said the leader, who snapped his fingers as a signal to one of his cronies.

The man placed a briefcase on the table and opened it to reveal a billion Woolongs in unmarked bills. As Dunner eyed the money greedily, he took a wad from the case and leafed through them with his thumb. "This will do," he remarked.

At that moment, a spotlight from a single man spaceship shined into the factory. "Vicontiel Dunner, we know you're in there, come out with your hands up!" demanded a voice through a microphone.

"Bounty hunters! Run for it!" cried the Blue Cosmos leader.

The two factions quickly gathered their belongings and rushed to escape. As Dunner's group burst out of the factory's front door, they were stopped by Spike Spiegel, bounty hunter extraordinaire, at gun point. Dunner's first accomplice reached for a weapon only to have it shot out of his hand. The other tried to do the same only to achieve the same result. With no more options available to them, Dunner and his men raised their arms in surrender. Spike rounded the men into the Bebop while Faye did the same with Blue Cosmos.

While in their ship, the Bebop's bounty hunters began to search the possessions of their captured quarry. Jet took a wad of money in the briefcase and leafed through it with his fingers. "Phewpheeeew..." whistled Jet. "That's a lot of moola. There has to be at least a billion Woolong in here."

In the meantime, Faye was perusing the schematics on Dunner's person. "What do we have here?" 

"Judging from the picture, I'd say it was a blueprint for a weapon," remarked Spike. "Hmm... From Positron Incorporated?"

"Positron Incorporated? Do you mean that weapons maker that was bought out three months ago?" asked Faye.

"I think so," replied Spike. "Hey Ed, do you suppose you could bring up some information on Positron Inc.?" 

"Sure thing, Spike!" replied a red-haired tomboy, who began to sing a silly song as she surfed the net. "La la la! Here we go!"

Jet and Spike moved closer to Ed's computer to check on the information. "Says here that they were bought out by a holding firm named Penhold Holdings. Man, they spent a frickin' fortune just to acquire them; 100 billion Woolong?" asked Spike rhetorically.

"Says here that Positron Inc. takes many contracts from the ISSG," mentioned Jet aloud. "Wait a minute..." Jet analyzed the blueprints finally realizing the truth about Dunner's exchange. "Could someone be leaking ISSG military secrets to these guys?"

"Interesting... How much do you suppose the ISSG and Positron will pay us for these guys?" asked Spike.

"I have no idea, but ooh boy, wait 'til they find out about the leak. We're gonna see a whole shit storm as they try to figure out who was responsible," replied Jet.

Indeed, the ISSG, or Inter Solar System Government, would suffer a panic attack. If the energy shield was supposed to be kept secret, which was likely, heads would roll upon this discovery. Even more telling was that these secrets were being passed to a man associated with a known terrorist group. The Bebop crew, overjoyed to have nabbed such a big bounty, sped through the crimson Martian skies to collect their reward. Just when the trip seemed to be uneventful, a trio of unidentified, unmarked ships began to tail the Bebop. On a routine check of the sensors from the bridge, Jet finally noticed them following the Bebop.

The ships swarmed the Bebop with guns blazing. The shots ricocheted off the Bebop's hull, alerting everyone within. "Jet, what's going on?" asked Spike. 

"We've got three unidentified ships on our tail. Get to your ships and shoot'em down!" ordered Jet.

Faye and Spike scrambled to the Bebop's hangar where their ships waited for their pilots. Spike hopped into the cockpit of a sleek, sporty red space ship. The vehicle had a long energy gun mounted on its underside and a pair of machineguns on the tips of the wings. His ship, the Swordfish II, was lean and agile like its master. Faye's ship, on the other hand, was almost like an escape pod due to its round design. It had machineguns mounted in such a way that they seemed like arms. It also had missile launchers where the shoulders would be. Faye closed the cockpit of the Red Tail and launched her ship once Spike left the hangar.

The Bebop's automated weapons swivelled towards the mysterious attackers and let loose a barrage of bullets. Under the cover of the Bebop's fire, the two fighters sped to the aid of their mother ship. The Swordfish II suddenly banked out of the way of incoming fire and found itself in the six o'clock position of one of the enemy ships. Spike let loose an endless stream of bullets which punched countless holes into the victim. The bullets left a trail of holes which led to the engine and ignited it in flame. The pilot could not maintain control of his ship and crashed onto the Martian surface.

The Red Tail weaved through enemy fire until it suddenly dropped out of sight. The Red Tail returned to its original height once the enemy pilot overshot his target, putting itself squarely within the enemy's six o'clock position. Faye unloaded thousands of bullets which punched numerous holes into the victim's right wing. The enemy pilot began to experience difficulties with his handling, a fact which Faye exploited. The wily bounty hunter launched a pair of homing missiles which met their mark, blowing the mysterious ship to pieces.

"Good work you guys," complimented Jet. "The other one fled once you took out his buddies. It's safe to return home."

Faye and Spike returned to their mother ship, where the mysterious enemy became the subject of a heated discussion. "Who were those guys?" asked Spike.

"I'm not too sure, but my gut instinct is telling me that it has something to do with our bounty heads," admitted Jet.

"Why do you think that?" asked Faye.

"The schematics," replied Jet simply. "They looked like top-secret government stuff. I'm beginning to think the leakier is someone very high up on the totem pole, if you know what I mean. It's clear he knows we have Dunner and his men. Those ships were assassins sent to kill us and cover everything up." 

"So guess this means we won't be getting our reward..." Faye sighed.

"Maybe, but then again, maybe not," said Jet enigmatically. "If we could somehow make contact with the ones who placed the bounty, maybe we could still get paid." 

"Easier said than done," said Spike. "We have a big bull's-eye painted on us. We need to lie low somewhere." 

"Guess this means more takeout tonight." Faye sighed with ennui.

"Yeah, I don't like it either, but we can't risk cashing in the bounty at this point," affirmed Jet. 

Instead of going to the ISSP headquarters in Blue Dragon City, the Bebop made its way to Ganymede, one of the moons of Jupiter. This moon was also the former home of Jet, who once worked as an ISSP officer there. The once barren moon had been terraformed by human machines into a watery paradise. There was crystal clear blue water everywhere as far as the eye could see. In the sky was Jupiter, which appeared as a circle of various shades of brown, like coffee mixed with cream. The Bebop landed on one of the cities of Ganymede, which floated atop a barge-like structure over the water. 

Faye took this rare opportunity to sunbathe on the deck of the Bebop in a revealing bikini. Inside, the owner of the Bebop set out to do some research of his own into Positron, Penhold, Vicontiel Dunner, and the bounty. "Hello, could you put Donnelly on the line?" asked Jet.

The operator eventually put a grizzled old police officer on the line. His picture appeared on the computer screen. "Oh Jet! It's been such a long time. How have ya been?" 

"Oh the usual, catch a bounty here, cash in a bounty there, the usual," replied Jet. "I came across the bounty for Vicontiel Dunner and I was wondering if you had any information on who placed the bounty on his head?"

"The Dunner bounty? Oh man, that one's a doozy. As for who placed it, they went by the name of 'Valiance.' Come to think of it, I did remember seeing a strange group at the station when the bounty was placed," replied Donnelly.

"You did? Can describe them?" asked Jet.

"Sorry, I didn't get a good look at their faces but...

"But what?"

"...But I do remember that one of them looked like a little kid dressed in a fox costume."

"...A kid in a fox costume?" asked Jet incredulously.

"Yep, you heard that right," replied Donnelly. "Seems he's the captain of one of their ships. That's all I know. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help."

"No, that's fine. Keep this between you and me, but we've caught Dunner already," said Jet.

"You did?" asked Donnelly. 

"Keep it down!" said Jet in a hushed whisper. "Yeah, we have him on my ship, but we can't hand him in yet. Some people are trying to get us so we're hiding out until the coast is clear. We think they're assassins."

"Assassins? Why would anyone want to go after you?" asked Donnelly.

"When we caught Dunner, he had top-secret military schematics from Positron Inc. on him. We think that someone really high up is leaking the information to him. We suspect that our leaker is from Positron or the ISSG."

"I see. This is very serious," commented Donnelly. "Actually, after telling me that story, I think I might have an idea as to who your leaker is."

"Who?" 

"Maxwell Smith," replied Donnelly succinctly. "It is your typical sordid tale of government corruption. Did you know that last July, Positron was bought out by this other company?" 

"Yeah," replied Jet.

"Smith was the president of Positron before the buyout. Hell, he was the one who arranged it in the first place. He was one of the biggest supporters of the President's campaign and got named as the new defence minister. As the defence minister, he would have access to military secrets and have the means to hire assassins to kill you." 

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from the bridge of the Bebop. "Damn... Thanks a lot. I have to be going now, take care." 

"You too," said Donnelly.

Jet abruptly terminated the line and rushed to check out the problem. On his way up, he heard a clanging before he was finally able to access his ship's radar. There were five bogeys making attack runs against the Bebop. He started the Bebop's engines and activated its defence systems. The Bebop's weapons lit the sky with orange tracers as they spewed bullets at the attacking ships. Spike scrambled to his fighter ship, launching his craft once the Bebop's hangar door creaked open. Faye hastily put on her clothes before jumping into her craft and launching it into the fray.

As the two cowboys fought off the enemy, Jet pulled the Bebop upwards. The thrusters started with the roar of air and flame gushing out of the exhaust. The Bebop slowly but steadily lifted off of the water with guns blazing. An assassin locked onto the Bebop and launched a salvo of missiles. The Bebop shuddered as the missiles exploded on its hull. Fortunately, the Bebop had thick armour and polarization-based defence systems to weather this attack. The Bebop's bullets tore into the body of an assassin, causing it to fall to the waters of Ganymede below.

The Swordfish II positioned itself in an assassin's rear and pelted the unmarked, sporty grey ship with a storm of bullets. The machineguns clacked with each bullet expelled through the muzzle. Each on target shot clanged as it tore through the hard titanium chassis. The bullets eventually hit a critical wire in the craft, causing a fire to billow smoke into the air. The assassin bailed out of his craft just before it nose-dived towards the waters below. Spike noticed a second assassin firing on him from above, scoring minor hits onto his left wing.

The Swordfish II banked out of the way and put itself underneath a third assassin. Spike tilted his craft upward and fired his plasma cannon into the victim. The searing hot beam of blue melted its way through the body, causing the engine to smoke and the pilot to lose control. A missile locked on and slammed into it, turning the craft into a blazing mid-air fireball. The Red Tail banked away from incoming enemy fire from the first assassin. Faye looked upward and saw the tracers fly past her ship above her head. The cunning cowboy manoeuvred her ship right into the rear of a second assassin.

Faye spewed bullets at the enemy ship even though it bobbed and weaved randomly to evade the shots. The ship kept moving forward so far that Faye could no longer chase it unless she left the range of the Bebop's defences. The ship vanished over the horizon a few seconds later. Spike tailed the last remained ship much as Faye did to the first. Like the first, this ship sped away at top speed until it was safely out of the range of any weapons. With the Bebop now safe from enemy attack, the Red Tail and the Swordfish II landed within the hangar of their mother ship.

Jet took the Bebop towards the nearest hyperspace gateway bound for the asteroid Tijuana. The gate started up with a cloud of azure energy and stabilized into a corridor of hyperspace. The planets and stars zipped by like streaks of light as the Bebop traversed the Solar System faster than the speed of light. The trip took up only an hour before the Bebop burst out of second gate near a space station constructed within a pear shaped asteroid. However, the station wasn't the only thing waiting for them. For as far as the eye could see were patrol vessels marked by the letters "ISSP." 

"Bebop, this is the ISSP," began a message from one of the ships transmitted on all channels. "You are under arrest for abetting the escape of a known fugitive. Surrender your vessel and prepare to be boarded!"

"Oh great, now what are we going to do?" asked Spike.

Before the Bebop crew could decide how to react, a new ship dropped out of hyperspace above the Bebop. Unlike Bebop world's ships, this ship seemed capable of creating hyperspace gates wherever and whenever it wanted. The ship was huge compared to the relatively tiny patrol ships and the larger Bebop. It had palm trees along the length of a runway on its surface. The ship had a bullet-like chassis and fins with blue and white highlights. The enormous number of cannons around its chassis clearly indicated that it was a warship, one that was far more advanced than anything in the Bebop world.

"Attention all ISSP vessels," addressed a child-like voice. "This is the Blue Typhoon. The Bebop crew has requested asylum with us. We are taking custody of their ship. Power down your weapons or we will open fire!" 

"We requested asylum with them?" asked Faye incredulously.

The Blue Typhoon aimed a blue ray of energy, a tractor beam, at the Bebop. The space capable fishing ship shuddered as the beam locked onto the hull. "They're towing us into their ship!" cried Jet over the rumbling of his ship. "Ed, can you hack their ship and shut off that thing?"

"One beam shut off coming right up!" said Ed as she typed away at her keyboard.

On the Blue Typhoon's bridge, this act did not go unnoticed. "Tails," addressed Cream. "Someone is trying to access our computer systems."

"Izzy, kick out whoever is trying get in!" ordered Tails.

Izzy typed on his keyboard frantically to repel the hostile intrusion. On the Bebop, Ed countered Izzy's moves using every trick she knew. "Ed, what's taking so long?" asked Spike.

"Looks like Ed's got a little rival here," replied Ed. "...But never fear because Ed is here!"

On the ISSP side, the officer in charge of the operation was receiving orders from higher up. "...But sir, that is a warship we're dealing with! There's no way our patrol ships can take on that thing!"

"I don't care what you have to do, stop that ship!" cried the officer's superiors. "Do NOT let the Bebop get away!"

The officer sighed. "Okay men, take down the Blue Typhoon!" 

The ISSP ships swarmed the Blue Typhoon firing machineguns and missiles as they made attack runs on the warship. Having failed to listen to his warnings, Tails immediately ordered retaliation. From the hangar burst forth a squadron of M1 Astrays, the standard mobile suits of Orb and the Clyne Faction. The Astrays zipped about the battlefield, blasting ISSP patrol craft with ease. Those missed by the Astrays swooped in for bombing runs on the Blue Typhoon. However, even they were wiped by the Blue Typhoon's energy shots. 

On the Bebop, Tentomon appeared on the screen of Ed's monitor to her puzzlement. "Connection terminated," was all he said.

Ed's computer went dead at that moment, having had its power shut off by the Digimon. Ed frantically rushed to reboot her computer only to find yet another problem. "Hey no fair! He wiped out my keyboard driver!" complained Ed.

"Well, get it reinstalled!" cried Spike as he watched the Blue Typhoon move further away from the battle area. The Bebop shuddered every inch the Blue Typhoon towed it. "I don't want to know where they plan on taking us."

The Blue Typhoon opened a rift between worlds which appeared as a swirl of energy and light. Within the centre was a section of space Spike had never seen before. The Bebop continued to shudder as Tails' ship towed the Bebop through this rift between worlds. The Astrays immediately returned to the hangar of their mother ship in preparation for the journey back to Valiance space. The gate closed behind the Blue Typhoon, leaving the ISSP locked out on the other side. Valiance's ship continued its flight back to the space station in orbit around the home world. 

The space station was a wheel-like object made entirely out of metal with a highly modular design. On the circumference of the circle was a walkway with twenty spherical bays for docking ships. The ring like walkway was connected to a central spherical command centre by several hallways that resembled spokes on a bicycle wheel. On strategic points on the spheres and the outer ring were numerous cannons and missile launchers. Several small utility shuttles milled about the area along with mobile suit security guards.

The Blue Typhoon guided the Bebop towards one of the station's docking bays. The Blue Typhoon released its tractor beam as the station locked one of its own on the Bebop to tow it the rest of the way in. The forceful docking of Jet's vessel bumped the crew around, making it impossible for them to do anything worthwhile. A squad of troops waiting at the docking area stormed the Bebop. The armed Zaibach troops captured the Bebop's hangar area and continued inward, eventually reaching the lounge. Spike and the others there found themselves surrounded by men armed with portable Chlima launchers. 

The Bebop crew wisely decided to surrender to the Valiance-Zaibach soldiers. As they were led out with hands raised, other soldiers directed Jet towards a different area. The soldiers secured Vicontiel Dunner, his men, and the Blue Cosmos terrorists as well. The soldiers led the crew and Dunner's associates to prison cells while Dunner himself was taken to an interrogation room. At the far end of the sterile room was a table with Ross and Folken seated behind. The guards rudely shoved Dunner onto the chair.

"Okay Lord Dunner, let's make this as quick and painless as possible," began Ross. "We know you work with the Omnipotence terrorist group. We represent several countries and worlds where you are wanted for arms running. You are looking at a very lengthy prison term. Tell us where the weapons came from and the judge might be more lenient." 

Though Dunner was unwilling to talk at first, he eventually did cave in after the Bebop crew and his associates received interrogations. "So you want to know what my job is?" asked Dunner. "All I am is an errand boy. When my boss tell me to do something, I do it."

"When we captured the Bebop, we found schematics for a new defence system by the ISSG. The Bebop crew says you were selling these secrets to Blue Cosmos for money. Who was the one who provided you with these blueprints?" asked Folken.

"He's the big shot head of a corporation. His name is Maxwell Smith," replied Dunner.

"Maxwell Smith? You mean the current ISSG Minister of Defence?" asked Ross. Dunner replied in the positive. "Earlier, you said that you worked for your boss. Tell me who you have worked for." 

"Lots of different people," replied Dunner. "I am an agent for the Abh Empire. I've worked for Lord Chimera, doing the things his people can't get their hands dirty doing. I've also worked for this Saiyan who calls herself Leguma."

"Anyone else?" asked Ross.

"I've also worked for another corporate big shot. Her name is Geraldine Banks."

"Tell me more about Geraldine Banks," requested Ross.

"She's the Vice President of Penhold," replied Dunner.

"Penhold... As in Penhold holdings?" asked Folken, to which Dunner answered by saying "yes." "Very well, thank you for your information. Guards, please escort Lord Dunner back to his cell." 

As Valiance agents set out to investigate Penhold, the Bebop crew awaited their fate in their cells. After an indeterminate time, the guards returned Jet back to his cell, which he shared with Spike. "So, they made you talk?"

"Yeah," replied Jet.

"What did they ask you?" asked Faye from the neighbouring cell.

"Just the usual things," replied Jet. "They wanted to know who we were and what we were doing with our bounties."

A series of footsteps approached the Bebop crew's holding cell. They belonged to a pair of Centarumon guards. The guards opened to the men's cell door and brought them to Eddie's office. Seated on his desk was Tails who was motionless. "Hello guys, I hope the accommodations weren't too inconveniencing," introduced Eddie.

"If you've come to gloat, then please spare me the ridicule," said Spike, who then noticed Tails on Eddie's desk. "Aren't you a little old to be playing with dolls?"

"He's my good luck charm. Let's me set the record straight. I'm not here to make fun of you guys. I'm here to talk about you. You're Jet Black and Spike Spiegel, cowboys, I presume."

"Yeah," replied Jet and Spike.

"Hmm... You guys don't seem too happy to see me. Maybe you will be after hearing what I have to say," remarked Eddie. "I'm here to talk about Vicontiel Dunner's bounty." 

"So what about it?" asked Spike.

"Do you know who actually placed the bounty on his head?" asked Eddie.

"Well, I heard he was some kid in a fox's costume," replied Jet.

"You mean like me?" asked Tails impishly as he became animate.

Jet and Spike nearly jumped out of their seats. Eddie couldn't stop his laughing. "You're alive?" asked Spike.

"Of course," 

"Wait a minute. Were you one of the people who put the bounty on Dunner?" asked Jet.

"Red hot, boiling hot!" replied Tails humorously.

"So, you guys must be Valiance!" concluded Jet.

"That's right, I'm Eddie Valiant, leader of Valiance. Pleased to meet you boys," introduced Eddie, who then shook the hands of Spike and Jet.

"So, what about the bounty?" asked Spike. "We had him until you guys captured our ship."

"I was getting there. After we found Dunner on your ship, we withdrew the bounty. We are giving it to you as reward. You caught our man fair and square, so you deserve it. If you want to seek more employment with us, you're welcome to stay. If not, we'll drop you off at a place of your choosing. Just a warning, but I wouldn't go back to Bebop world if I were you. You're still wanted by the ISSP. In the meantime, take some time to think about it. The Centarumon will escort you to your reward."

The Centarumon released the female cowboys and brought the entire Bebop crew to Dolores. Eddie's wife opened a small briefcase containing three small cylindrical devices. Spike, Jet, and Faye each checked out one of the devices, which held a third of the 300 billion Woolong reward for Dunner's capture in electronic money. "Thanks Dolores, I'd like to check out my ship now, if it's alright?" asked Jet.

"Sure, it's in docking bay nine, right where we left it," said Dolores.

The Bebop crew returned to their ship, which had been largely left intact by Valiance's search crews. "Well, everything seems in order," remarked Spike.

"They even threw in a free repair job on our hull," remarked Jet. "Well then, what's our next move?" 

"We can't go back to Bebop world, that's for sure. We're still wanted by the ISSP, remember?" said Faye.

Spike sighed. "Yeah, don't remind me..."

Jet watched as Ed began playing ball with Ein the dog. "Hmm, you know, I'm mighty tempted to take up Eddie on his offer. There's nowhere else for us to go if we're wanted by the ISSP. We don't know any place other than Bebop world."

"What about the bounty? We're rich!" said Spike.

"Our current funds can last us a long time if we conserve it, but it will run out eventually," assured Jet. "It wouldn't hurt to build up more funds to while we wait for things to blow over."

"Eh, works for me," replied Spike, not really caring either way. 

"Sure, if I can make more dough off these guys, I'm not complaining," replied Faye.

"Well then, it's settled. We're working for Valiance now," said Jet.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#21 Teni, The Strange Star: Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#68 Chisin, The Forward Star: Jet Black (Cowboy Bebop)  
#99 Chisyu, The Ugly Star: Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop)

Spotlight: Cowboy Bebop

In the year 2021, a hyperspace gate accident annihilated the population of Earth. The survivors who could escape fled their planet to colonize the rest of their Solar System while Earth remained the home of the poor or those who couldn't or wouldn't leave. Crime levels increased rapidly, forcing authorities to institute a bounty system like that of the Wild West. Bounty hunters, also known as cowboys, would capture criminals alive in return for monetary rewards. Cowboy Bebop follows the adventures of the group of cowboys who operate from the titular space-capable ship.

Origin:  
Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and Spike Spiegel are three such cowboys. All three are very familiar with the skills necessary to be a bounty hunter from piloting space-capable craft to firearm usage. They all either learned their skills on the job or through formal training, particularly in Jet's case since he was once a police officer in the ISSP.

Powers:  
Cowboy Bebop is a world entrenched in scientific law. The people of Bebop have taken their first steps into outer space. They have colonized their Solar System through the help of a network of hyperspace gates which allow faster than light travel. They have yet to create ship-mounted, faster than light engines, but do have ships capable of making escape velocity. Cybernetics is fairly advanced in this world as well. Jet has a cybernetic left arm while Spike has a cybernetic right eye. Weapons are mostly bullet or missile firing but energy weapons like the one on Spike's fighter ship are not unknown.


	18. Invasion of the Abh Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Invasion of the Abh Story, part 3: The Eye of God **

It was another day in Toontown's presidential mansion. The current President of the Tooniverse, Adam Acme, awoke to the golden light of morning and the sound of birds chirping. After cleaning himself as part of his morning routine, Acme donned his designer suit and walked out of the immaculate bedroom to begin his day. "Good morning, Mr. President," said one of Acme's aides, a dark-haired young Toon.

"Good morning, Harvey," said Acme. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"At 9 o'clock you've got an appointment at the Superhero Veteran's Memorial. You're supposed to give a speech at the memorial service for the dead Superheroes," replied Harvey.

"Ah, yes, I remember. Tell Jeffery to get the limo ready after breakfast," ordered Acme.

"Sir, that will get you to the memorial two hours too early," replied Harvey.

"Of course, I want get there sooner so I have more time to talk to the veterans," said Acme.

"Oh I see. Good for you. It's nice to pay respects to our Superheroes," said Harvey.

President Acme ate a delicious breakfast of pancakes and eggs in the massive presidential dining room. Afterwards, Acme and his entourage greeted his limo driver, Jeffery, who was an anthropomorphic bulldog Toon. The bulldog was in a black chauffeur's uniform and held the door for his passengers to board. Jeffery returned to the driver's seat and started the car. Moments after the vehicle came into motion, an explosion ripped through the interior of the presidential mansion! Jeffery floored on the gas in an attempt to escape the area.

"Hold on, I'm going to the bunker!" cried Jeffery.

The limo made a sudden turn around and sped onto the open streets. Jeffery sped his car through the calm streets of suburban Toontown until they came to a remote area in the Toontown outskirts. This area was under constant patrol by military personnel, one of whom saluted the President as Jeffery took his limo inside. The compound was in fact a bunker for protecting the President in the event of enemy attack. Upon reached the underground parking lot, a large steel blast door closed behind them while the limo's occupants disembarked.

The attack made headline news that afternoon. "...Earlier this day, officials had confirmed that an explosive device had been set off in the presidential building. Experts concluded that the device had been planted at around 7am in the washroom neighbouring the president's office. Fortunately, the President had left early to give a speech at the Superhero Veteran's Memorial and was not in the building at the time. Officials estimate that the blast had resulted in two people dead and ten wounded."

Throughout the next few days of the week, the authorities tracked down the party responsible for the attack on the presidential building. Police and SWAT forces converged on a single hotel in the heart of Toontown in video footage broadcast over the media networks. In a raid free of bloodshed, they entered a private room only to find no one home. As the authorities searched the room, they found and seized identification papers that had been left behind by the bombers. Back at the station, the detectives searched through the papers and found that all of them had one thing in common; they were from Roshtaria of the anime world El Hazard. 

Roshtaria was a nation tinged with the flavour of the Arabian Nights. Two primary races dominated this world, the human nations in the deserts and the insectoid Bugrom tribe from the wastelands. These two had fought a great war which had resulted in destruction of the Bugrom's home land through a mass destruction weapon known as the "Eye of God." The Bugrom tribe was scattered after the war and greatly reduced in number. With the confirmed involvement of Roshtaria in the assassination attempt on Acme, the Toons now had their next target in the war against anime violence.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Feudal Era of Demonic Earth, the demon hunters were looking around Valiance's campsite. The camp was bustling with activity as workers moved to disassemble the tents and equipment brought through the well. "Why are they taking everything down?" asked Shippo.

"We're leaving this place," replied Morty. "After Naraku stabbed us in the back and joined the other side, we lost many of our troops in battle. We don't have enough left to fight him, Omnipotence, and Morikage together now."

"So you're just going to up and abandon everyone, is that it?" asked Inuyasha.

"Do you really want to get yourself killed?" asked Morty. "You're crazy! Didn't you see the wounded men coming in to our camp?" 

"I don't like it either Inuyasha, but if they lost many of their men, now would be a bad time to face Naraku or his friends," admitted Miroku.

"Yeah, Miroku's right. I tended to the injured men they brought into camp. It's pretty bad here," said Kagome.

"What about you Sango and you Shippo?" asked Inuyasha.

"I'm afraid I'll have to side with Kagome and Miroku," replied Sango.

"Me too," said Shippo.

"Bah, everyone's against me..." Inuyasha sighed. "Fine, we'll do it your way."

As the Valiance army returned to the Crimson Egg in the Kagome's world, Shippo looked out into space with Kilala. He marvelled at how strange and beautiful the world beyond the Earth was. The stars shone brightly like twinkling points of light in the distance. The Earth itself was a beautiful sight. The land was covered in a carpet of green vegetation while the oceans sparkled like sapphires. All he had ever seen were the forests and plains of ancient Japan. It was a sight Shippo and Kilala had never seen before, since the Feudal Era lacked the capability to bring people into space.

The demon hunters decided to ask Morty about himself and his role in the Valiance Army. Morty was happy to oblige. "You may not believe it, but I'm one of the founding members of Valiance".

"So you're saying you are one of the people who created this organization?" asked Sango

"Yep, so were Amelia and Sonic, but Amelia was from a different group. Before we formed Valiance, there were three groups of people that went up against Omnipotence. I was in one of those groups with my friends Yoh and Faust. We joined up with Amelia's group and the third group. We brought more people in, like our friends, and the other groups did the same thing. We even brought in Eddie and before we knew it, we were an army. You saw how dangerous Omnipotence is. That's why you joined us, isn't it?"

"So you were fighting Naraku's buddies? I'd never expect that a little pipsqueak like you could put up a fight," remarked Inuyasha skeptically, as he squeezed Morty's head. Suddenly, Mosuke appeared and slapped Inuyasha's hand away. The dog demon was in shock. "What?" 

"A ghost!" remarked Sango.

"That's Mosuke, my friend and shamanic spirit guardian," introduced Morty. "It's because of him that I was able to do those things back in the fight with Naraku's demons. Don't worry; he's not trying to hurt me, Mosuke."

"Right, but if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you didn't do that to him," said Mosuke to Inuyasha. The dog demon said nothing.

* * *

Meanwhile, a beautiful firebrand of a woman soaked herself within the warm waters of a hot spring. This red-haired, tanned skin beauty downed a cup of sake in a single gulp. She was visibly inebriated, her cheeks rosy red from all the sake she had consumed. Despite trying to drown her sorrows in alcohol, she was still very depressed over some unknown matter. "Why Makoto, why? How can you pick her over me?" complained the girl, Shayla Shayla.

A female servant approached her. "More sake?" she asked. 

Shayla took the near-empty bottle and attempted to poor it into her cup to no avail. "Yeah, sure."

The servant took the empty old bottle and threw it into the garbage on her way to the stock room. She fetched a full bottle of sake from the wine cellar and removed the lid. At that moment, a teenaged girl made her way to that same wine cellar. When she walked in, she noticed the servant pouring a white powder from a pouch into one of the bottles. "Hey, what are you doing?" asked the girl.

The servant suddenly pulled out a gun and fired it into the girl's neck. The dart pierced through the teenager's skin, causing her wince as she clutched the wound. Within moments, the teenager, Nanami, began to feel disorientation and dizziness. As each second passed, it became more difficult to remain conscious. She gave out and collapsed on the ground. The servant lifted Nanami by the arms and put her into a corner out of plain sight. After, calling for help on a hidden radio, a pair of accomplices picked Nanami off of the ground and carried her away.

In the meantime, the servant returned to the hot spring with the tainted sake. "Here you go!" 

"Thanks!" replied Shayla, who poured the sake into her cup and drank heartily.

Moments later, Shayla fell unconscious just like Nanami. Making sure no one was looking; the servant lifted Shayla's unconscious, naked body out of the water and slung it over her shoulders. "Man, she needs to go on a diet..." 

When Shayla woke up, she found herself still naked, but lying on the floor bound by rope and chains. She looked around and saw a stony room lit only by dim, electronically powered lights. The room was cold to the touch, especially due to the fact that she was still naked and had not gotten a chance to put on some clothes. The only entrance to the room was a single metal door that was likely to have been locked from the outside. On the ground next to her was an unconscious woman she knew very well, Miz Mishtal. Like Shayla, Miz was also a priestess of Mount Muldoon.

"Oh great, where the hell are we? Miz, wake up!" called Shayla, but Miz didn't respond.

On the ground above her was a second girl, whose appearance gave Shayla no end of annoyance. "Oh great, Nanami's here too!"

Suddenly, a set of footsteps approached Shayla's cell. The door creaked open to reveal Leguma, who was carrying a pair of women over her shoulders. "Well, well, well, rise and shine honey!"

"Damn you bitch!" cried Shayla. "Let us go!"

"Tsk tsk, we have a little anger management problem here, don't we?" asked Leguma in mocking rhetoric.

"When I get out of here you're gonna wish you were never born!" threatened Shayla.

Leguma merely laughed off Shayla's threats. "Is that all you can say after all the trouble I went to get you company? Some people are such ingrates." Leguma sighed in plainly hypocritical manner. "Well, maybe you'll enjoy the company of these ladies. I hear the brown-haired one on my shoulder here is especially fond of female companionship."

Shayla glanced at the prisoner on Leguma's right shoulder. She was tied in ropes and chains much like Shayla was. She was also naked, which brought up a lot of questions as to what she had been doing before being captured. She had long brown hair which reached to the small of her back. She had a thin, petite build with skin that was smooth and free of unsightly marks. Upon looking at the face, Shayla noted its boyish quality and similarity to someone who was dear to her heart. It was Second Princess Fatora of Roshtaria, who was known for being a lesbian. 

"Oh, you're curious about that? Let's just say that she went all the way to home base. Of course, she was batting for the other team when she did..."

Leguma dumped her two prisoners onto the ground and locked the cell behind her. Shayla took a look at the second prisoner, when her face came to a rest on the ground. This second prisoner's beauty was of the delicate, but enduring kind, like a beautiful flower in bloom. She was older than Fatora and had hair like honey. In her hair was head band with a flower attached to it which served as an ornament. Her beautiful clothes seemed to flow with her silky smooth skin. Shayla recognized her as the First Princess of Roshtaria, Rune Venus, who had beauty befitting of her name.

"Oh crap, they got Rune Venus too..." muttered Shayla.

* * *

Somewhere in far to the east, in the wastelands of the Bugrom, the forces of Valiance descended onto El Hazard. The wastelands of the Bugrom were vast tracts of land tinted with the darkest blues and purples. As a result of a war in the past, the Bugrom home land was dotted with massive blast craters caused by an unknown weapon of mass destruction. The Crimson Egg's drop ship touched down on the ground with a hiss and a kicked up a light cloud of dust. A door opened in the side of the boxy craft which Eddie and Folken exited with armed guards.

Outside of the ship, the leaders of the Bugrom survivors waited for their arrival flanked by armed Bugrom. The first was a beautiful, exotic woman with bronzed skin, pink hair, and markings on her forehead resembling insect eyes. She wore a two piece set of black clothing consisting of a top, a thong, knee high boots, and shoulder armour. She was Diva, queen of the Bugrom. The second was a Japanese school boy in his late teens. He wore the uniform of his school, which was almost like a business suit, but with a set of medals pinned to it. This weasel of a boy, Katsuhiko Jinnai, had a fairly smug grin on his face.

Folken shook the hand of General Jinnai while Eddie did the same to Diva. "Mr. Valiant, I'm glad you were able come. We've recently acquired pictures of the enemy's leading officers. Please have a look."

Diva handed set of hand drawn pictures of the enemy commanders to Folken. Valiance's strategist flipped through the pictures, not recognizing any of the faces until one finally stood out. It was a picture of a female Saiyan in her mid-twenties. "That's her," announced Folken. "That's Leguma." Folken flipped through the pages until he found a second picture. "...And this man is Lord Naraku."

"Well Folken, looks like we've hit pay dirt," remarked Eddie. "Omnipotence is definitely hiding under some rock here."

"Thank you for your assistance. These people are definitely Omnipotence agents. Can you tell me more about your encounter with them?" asked Folken.

"Yesterday, along the northern section of the border between our lands and Roshtaria, one of our patrols came under attack by creatures we have never encountered before on El Hazard," replied Diva. "They resembled humans, but had features like fur and the heads of animals. Several of our patrols have also spotted swarms of wasp and serpent-like monsters flying in the skies above our lands."

"I see," replied Folken. "I have no doubt that Naraku is here."

"Well don't worry, 'cuz us Valiance guys are going to help you with the Omnipotence goons," said Eddie. "Hopefully, you'll cooperate as best you can."

"Of course," assured Diva. "General Jinnai is mobilizing our forces to assist you. He will coordinate search efforts with Mr. Fanel."

At that moment, a Bugrom agent entered the camp and whispered something into Jinnai's ear. "Mr. Valiant, I've just got word that our troops have found an abandoned camp in the northern mountains. My servant will lead you there."

Jinnai's Bugrom servant led the forces of Valiance to a cave naturally formed from the side of a mountain. The area had already been secured by Bugrom before they arrived. When the two parties searched the area, they found signs of recent habitation, which meant that whoever was here had only left very recently. The Bugrom located a set of tire tracks in mud which led out of the camp and into the forest which surrounded the great River of God. Midway into the forest, the tracks turned northward towards the sea and ended at a beach.

One of the Bugrom returned to Jinnai, who was surveying the searching of the camp. In a garbled language, the Bugrom messenger narrated his findings in the garbled language of his people. "They went out to sea?" asked Jinnai.

Eddie was frustrated. "Oh great! They could be anywhere by now."

A few days later, a squad of armed thugs in camouflage and ski masks approached a second mountainside hideout set up elsewhere in the deserts of El Hazard. The thug uttered a password to the guard at the door, who confirmed the password and allowed them entry. After giving a report to Leguma, she called in yet another group of underlings to issue orders. "We will be moving the prisoners within the next hour." 

"What about that girl?" asked the thug leader. 

"Take her out and shoot her. Make sure no one finds the body," replied Leguma.

The thugs sauntered over to Nanami's cell and dragged her out, much to the chagrin of the other women. The thugs led her out of the hideout and into a secluded area in the desert. As one thug began to dig a hole into the sand with a shovel, the other forced Nanami into a kneeling position and kept watch over her with arms crossed. As each load of sand left the ground, Nanami instinctively began to grow terrified. She felt her heart sinking as realized how close she was to her ultimate fate. With her hands tied behind her back and a thug watching her, there was nothing she could do.

"Hey you! How dare you scare such a nice girl!" cried Naruto.

Nanami turned to look at Naruto and breathed a sigh of relief. "Get him!" cried the watching thug as he drew his handgun.

The digging thug fired on Naruto, who disappeared behind a sand dune. The digger left the execution site to flush the annoying ninja out. The watcher waited by Nanami to ensure she would not escape and kept on the lookout in case a second person attempted a sneak attack while the other thug was distracted. Naruto returned to the execution area, but the digger was nowhere to be seen. The thug pointed his gun at the back of Nanami's head. "Stay there! Don't you come any closer or I'll shoot this girl!" threatened the thug.

"What girl? All I see are two rock heads," said Naruto.

"What?" The thug looked down at Nanami to find that a stone had taken her place. "Dammit!"

The thug fired several bolts of energy. Naruto ducked under the dune, allowing the energy to sail past him harmlessly. When the watching thug decided to move closer, Naruto fled behind the dunes of sand. When the thug reached the rear of the dunes, he spotted his partner unconscious on the ground. In his moment of distraction, a sharp blow connected with the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. As Naruto went to check up on the girl he had saved from death, his clones gathered the bodies of the thugs in a nearby location to await the arrival of friends.

"Are you okay?" asked Naruto.

"I'm fine. Thank you, whoever you are," replied Nanami.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, ninja and Hokage of the future, believe it!"

"Naruto! There you are!" said Sakura, who came on the scene. "They're over here, Sensei!"

Kakashi entered the scene and chuckled once he saw Naruto's handiwork. "Ah, good work, Naruto. You found one of the missing girls. Not only that, but if these men are here, that means their base must be close by too." 

"Sensei, I've spotted a metallic door in the mountainside. I've told the others, so they'll be coming here to investigate," informed Sasuke over the radio.

"Good, now all we need to do is kick back and watch the show," said Kakashi.

Within the next few minutes, Valiance heroes and agents swarmed the area and captured Omnipotence's base. "Eddie, we've captured the base, but there's nobody living there," reported Sonic. "I think they left just before we got there." 

"Thank you Sonic, keep me informed," replied Eddie over a radio.

"Hmm, seems Omnipotence flew the coop once again," remarked Folken. "Faust is going to persuade our two 'friends' into talking. We should know where they are headed very soon."

In the meantime, Faust was outside in a different part of the desert, separate from the temporary staging area for investigating the Omnipotence base. The two men were bound and lying on the ground before him. "Do your worst!" replied the watcher to Faust's requests for information.

"Are you crazy? Look how creepy that guy is. Don't encourage him!" objected the digger.

"You'll never make us talk!" cried the watcher defiantly.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you," said Faust as he snapped his fingers. At that moment, a pair of skeletons started to dig their way out of the sand near the heads of the prisoners. "Meet your new friends, Bones and Skully."

After digging their torsos out of the sand, the skeletons began to touch and examine the two prisoners. Those bony hands, aglow with the light of Furyoku, traced themselves across the faces of the men. "Oh my God!" gasped the digger, now visibly terrified.

The skeletons moved very close to the men, their jaws open and uttering a soft, guttural hiss at them. Now, even the watcher was becoming terrified. "What the hell are they doing?" asked the watcher.

"They want to get to know you better," replied Faust. "...But there was something else I wanted to tell you, something important. I just can't remember what it is for the life of me..."

The skeletons moved close again, their jaws open and hissing with a quiet, guttural sound once again. "Get them away from me!" 

"Oh, I remember now! They're cannibals," informed Faust.

"AHHHH! AHHHH!" screamed the digger, terrified upon realizing what Faust said.

"Call'em off! Call'em off! We'll do anything!" cried the watcher. 

"Anything?" asked Faust impishly.

The watcher finally capitulated. "Okay, okay! They went to the Stairway to the Sky. They want to bring back the Eye of God!" 

"I see," remarked Faust. "Oh well, Bones and Skully will be very unhappy. They really wanted to meet some new friends."

The two skeletons sank back into the earth to deep sighs of relief by the men. After reporting his findings to Folken, Valiance and their Bugrom allies made haste to the Stairway of the Sky, a great mechanical tower constructed in ancient times on El Hazard. Along the way, Eddie and Folken learned the truth of what Omnipotence wanted from Nanami. This massive metal structure was the control system for the Eye of God, a super weapon that created destructive time-space vortices which devoured everything caught in them. It was what destroyed the Bugrom homeland during their war against Roshtaria.

"I was there when Roshtaria used it to destroy the Bugrom lands," said Nanami. "...But what good will it do to call it now? The Phantom Tribe sabotaged the Eye and Ifurita took away so it couldn't hurt anyone."

"Somehow, I think Omnipotence has figured out a way to bring it back," said Folken. "If they succeed, I have no doubt that they can repair it and gain its use."

"How?" asked Nanami. "You can't use the Eye unless... Oh no! Now, I get why they kidnapped Rune Venus and the others!"

"Others?" asked Eddie.

"I wasn't the only one they captured. They also kidnapped the princesses of Roshtaria and the priestesses of Mount Muldoon."

"What's so important about these dames?" asked Eddie.

"They're the ones who can activate and control the Eye of God," replied Nanami. "They need them in order to control the Eye of God."

"...But then why did they take you?"

"It was probably because I caught them in the act. They couldn't afford to leave me around so they took me too. They were going to kill me but your guys stopped them," said Nanami.

"...And they'll do the same to the other women too," interjected Folken. "Omnipotence will certainly modify the Eye of God to allow them to use it without the baggage of the princesses and priestesses. At that point, they'll surely be executed."

As Valiance raced to stop Omnipotence, the great Stairway to the Sky loomed in the distance. The tower was as Nanami described it, a massive monolith that extended higher than the tallest skyscrapers where she came from. The tower was made purely of metal with no windows or other openings save for the entrance and the opening to the roof. However, not all was well with the tower. The clouds above it seemed to swirl as a vortex of white energy hovered over the tower. From the top of the tower came lightning, arcing from the roof to the vortex above. A spherical object, made of metal just like the tower, was emerging from the vortex.

"I'm going on ahead," stated Trunks, who fled out of the Valiance drop ship and pushed himself to reach the tower as quickly as possible.

He had sensed the presence of his long-time nemesis, Leguma, on the top of the tower. Trunks charged up a devastating ki blast and sent it straight into Leguma's chest. The Saiyan terrorist, distracted by the coming of the Eye of God, was unable to avoid or block the golden beam. Her underlings and the Roshtarian princesses dove for cover as its sheer force swept her out off the roof of the tower and carried her away. After propelling her several kilometres, the energy beam exploded, leaving a blinding light and Leguma's fate uncertain.

Trunks landed on the roof and prepared to repel the thugs holding the princesses hostage. One came at him with guns blazing but Trunks stopped the energy bolts with his aura of ki. Another attempted to grab him only to have his attack reversed into a throw. Midway into the thug's fall, Trunks delivered a powerful kick which sent the man flying into a pair of his comrades. Two more attempted to attack him, but with both hands, Trunks sent a concussive bolt into each of them. The men went sailing onto the floor with their backs flat on the ground.

"I'm Trunks Briefs, I'm here to rescue you," assured the mighty half-Saiyan warrior. Trunks tore apart each of Rune Venus' shackles with his bare hands before doing the same with Fatora's. "Okay, it's going to be a little bumpy. Hold on!"

Trunks picked up the two women and flew them back to the safety in one of the drop ships. Valiance's ships had already landed a short distance from the Stairway to the Sky. Valiance heroes and soldiers poured out of the ships and stormed the area. As the two sides exchanged fire, Sonic manoeuvred around the positions to the flanks of Omnipotence. He kicked a thug down and leapt onto another with blinding speed which bowled him over. The Omnipotence thugs, now in jeopardy with Sonic cutting a swath through their ranks from the side, began to retreat into the tower's entrance.

Using herself as a shield, Amelia advanced into the tower under the cover of a magical barrier. Morty, and Faust followed her in with Valiance soldiers not far behind. Suddenly, Sonic zoomed past the entourage and up the side of the wall past the Omnipotence soldiers. Though Omnipotence had the advantage of higher ground due to the stairs, Sonic's presence forced Omnipotence to divide its attention. Morty and Faust charged into Omnipotence's front ranks and began to cut them down with ease. With Omnipotence trapped between the forces of Valiance, their defeat was inevitable.

The forces of Valiance secured the area as Shaoran and Meilin began to destroy the shackles binding the Muldoon priestesses. "Is everyone okay?" asked Nanami.

"Yeah, we're fine," replied Shayla. "ACHOO!"

"Don't try to do anything. You need to get warm," scolded Nanami. "You've been naked for a very long time."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think she kinda enjoyed it," remarked Afura. "I never knew you were so exhibitionistic, Shayla." 

"I don't know about her, but I certainly did," said Fatora, holding her arms around Shayla, who brushed her off.

"Thank you little girl," said Miz, after Meilin unlocked her shackles with the magic of the Lock card.

Morty came to the priestesses with three items in hand. "I believe these were yours," he said as she showed the items to the priestesses and princesses. These items were a ring, a manacle, and a buckle. Each seemed to have circuitry built into it.

"Thanks," said Miz as she took her ring. Simultaneously, Shayla took her manacle and Afura reclaimed her buckle.

Rune Venus, however, was eager to find out what was going on. "So, these people who kidnapped us are terrorizing the anime worlds?"

"Yes," replied Folken. "We've been tracking them for nearly half a year already, but they are very elusive. Many of us came across worlds just to stop them."

"I can see that, but why do you have to work with him?" asked Rune, in reference to Queen Diva, General Jinnai, and their Bugrom troops.

Before Jinnai, could complain, Eddie beat him to the punch. "If it wasn't for the Bugrom, we wouldn't be here now. They were the ones who ratted those guys out. If they didn't, you and those other dames wouldn't be alive right now."

"Eddie's right," agreed Folken. "If they hadn't told us, Omnipotence would have executed you once they got the Eye of God. Right now, I think that Roshtaria and the Bugrom should put aside their differences and deal with the greater threat."

"Eddie," addressed Dr. Eggman over the radio.

"What is it?" asked Eddie.

"We've got a problem. Our long range sensors have detected a dozen battle-class ships on a course for El Hazard."

"Whose ships are they?" asked Eddie.

"Four of the ships are Abh battle cruisers, but you won't believe who the other eight are. They are UFO mk11s; Toon ships, Eddie," reported Dr. Eggman.

"Toon ships? What would the Toons want here?" asked Eddie.

"This certainly is a surprise," remarked Folken. "With Omnipotence involved, I'd really have to wonder if it's really Toons piloting those ships. In any event, we can not stay here. We have to leave as quickly as possible. Dr. Eggman, how long will it take for them to reach El Hazard." 

"By my calculations, they will reach firing range of our ships in four hours."

"Thank you. Report any new changes in the situation," said Folken, who then turned to Rune Venus. "Princess, I just got word that an invasion force is heading to El Hazard. Considering your military power in this world, there is no way you can fend off their assault for long. Your two sides need each other's help now more than ever. My suggestion to both of you is to conceal as many of your military assets as possible and dig in for a guerrilla campaign once the invaders occupy your lands. We can provide a safe haven from which you can direct your troops."

"Thank you, Folken, we appreciate this gesture," said Diva.

"Very well. Your Valiance organization has done a great service to Roshtaria. I will cooperate for the sake of both of our peoples," said Rune Venus.

"Good," said Folken. "Make your preparations quickly, because you don't have much time. We must get to safety before they come."

With the help of the Crimson Egg's shuttle, the leaders of the Bugrom and Roshtaria were able to return to their peoples. Diva and Rune Venus did not delay in making all of the preparations suggested by Folken. Squads of Bugrom and human soldiers cast away their uniforms and went into hiding as common civilians. They created secret cache around their cities where they could preserve weapons for the revolt. As Roshtarians installed special equipment in hidden locations, the Bugrom began to tunnel out an underground, labyrinthine network of tunnels.

Once the preparations had started, the leaders of each side boarded a Valiance shuttle bound for the safety of the no-man's-lands. Hours after Valiance left El Hazard, the Toon and Abh ships surrounded the planet. They set up a staging area around the Stairway to the Sky including an infirmary and a sleeping area for troops. Several soldiers fanned out of the area in strategic defensive points to guard the location. Once the area was confirmed to be safe, a second UFO extended a bridge to the top of the tower, where a man and his bodyguards walked out. This VIP was Adam Acme. 

"Where's Leguma?" asked Acme.

"Sir, we've found her lying in a crater three kilometres to the west," replied a humanoid Toon soldier. "We've taken her to the medical area for treatment."

The soldier escorted Acme to the infirmary tent, where Leguma was being treated for cuts and bruises. "So, I can see that you were successful in recalling the Eye of God..."

"Yes sir, it's all yours now," replied the Saiyan agent.

"Excellent," remarked Acme, who turned to a foreman. "I want that thing up and running as soon possible."

"Yes sir!" replied the foreman, who went to call his peers to work.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#27 Tenken, The Dagger Star: Miz Mishtal (El Hazard)  
#29 Tenzai, The Star of Sin: Afura Mann (El Hazard)  
#31 Tenhai, The Vanquished Star: Shayla Shayla (El Hazard)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#37 Chikai, The Chief Star of Earth: Katsuhiko Jinnai (El Hazard)  
#104 Chiretsu, The Inferior Star: Nanami Jinnai (El Hazard)

Spotlight: El Hazard

El Hazard focuses on four individuals who were sent to the titular world by a powerful android named Ifurita. El Hazard is a world heavily influenced by Arabic culture and the 1001 Arabian Nights. An ancient civilization once flourished there, but had been decimated by war. Relics of that civilization still remain and became mysteries for El Hazard's archaeologists to solve. The four visitors were dragged into the war that was brewing between the human alliance and the Bugrom tribe.

Origin:  
The four visitors are Katsuhiko Jinnai, Nanami Jinnai, Makoto Mizuhara, and Masamichi Fujisawa. By simply entering El Hazard, each of them gained a unique special power. Without these powers, they are regular human beings in every way. The priestesses received special theological and mystical training to use their powers and special artefacts to act as amplifiers. Most other individuals don't gain any supernatural powers and thus have to rely on innate skills.

Powers:  
People who are dragged from the related Earth to El Hazard can gain a special power, which is of a psionic nature. This is how General Jinnai acquired his ability to communicate with the Bugrom and how Nanami is able to see through any illusions placed before her. Accordingly, Fujisawa gained the ability to augment his body psionically, giving him immense physical strength, while Makato is able to psionically interface with technology. The priestesses' powers are also psionic in nature, but enhanced by special artefacts given to them when they ascended to their position.

Although it's not commonly used, El Hazard has lost technology even greater than that of its Earth, with energy weapons, androids like Ifurita, and the devastating Eye of God. Though little is known about this ancient technology, they had power sources that were capable of powering Ifurita and the Eye of God. They also had enough aerospace technology to create the Eye of God, which is a super weapon that orbits El Hazard.


	19. Disarmament Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Disarmament Story, part 3: Luo's Lament **

Somewhere in the vast reaches of space was a planet known as Sentinel III. This world was populated by human life, their cities covering nearly every inch of the planet. Sentinel III was a part of the world known as the "Outlaw Frontier." This vast void of space was an unruly, untamed world where crime was rampant, much like in Bebop world. There are large pirate gangs, like the Kei pirates, who take certain areas as territory and operate from there, robbing any stray ships. Humanity was well entrenched in space and has interacted with several alien races.

One of the businessmen of this world of infinite opportunities was Fred Luo. A young man in his early twenties, Luo had already amassed a corporate empire that dealt with millions of Wong of business every day. Luo approached his office, a sterile metal room with models of weapons on display in cases. As he passed by the door, he nodded to his bodyguards knowingly. He sat on his chair and blew a tuft of black hair away from his face. It was another boring day at the office of filling paperwork and attending board meetings. Luo slumped in his chair and breathed out in exasperation.

One of Luo's associates entered the room. "Mr. Luo, check this out. Someone has been purchasing several shares in Luo Industries this past week."

Luo looked over the records of the share purchases. "Penhold Holdings is buying shares in my company?"

"Yeah, they're negotiating with current shareholders to acquire their shares as well," reported the associate.

"Keep me informed," ordered Luo. "If they keep buying shares at this rate, I could be facing a takeover attempt."

However, five months passed and the situation grew worse, despite Luo's attempts to preserve the integrity of his business. In the end, only two parties controlled Luo Industries, Fred Luo himself, and Penhold Holdings. Luo had successfully secured 60 of his business, more than enough to guarantee his control over Luo Industries. However, Penhold was not going to quit. They had started to make several lucrative offers to purchase his business. Luo opened the envelope with the latest offer, a billion Wong to buy out his business.

Luo, now exasperated with Penhold's antics, crumpled the paper and threw it into the garbage. He looked at an old picture of himself as a boy, staring proudly at the camera with the rest of his family. The next day, Luo received another letter, but it was different from the others. This one was much harsher in tone. "Why are you being so stubborn? You should have sold out when you had the chance. It would be a shame if something were to happen to you or your business." 

Luo could easily tell by the tone and content that it was a threat. It was signed by "a friend" and written using a computer printer commonly available in any store. Nevertheless, Luo could not give in to the enemy. Luo Industries had more value than its material worth. It was a memento to him, a reminder of his late father. Luo couldn't bring himself to give up something his father had worked so hard to build. Suspecting Penhold's responsibility for the threat, Luo feared for what would happen should he lose his company. He vowed to stand firm, defiantly tearing up the letter and throwing it into a waste basket.

A bit later, a vortex of energy opened in the space above Sentinel III. The streak immediately faded once it came to a stop, revealing itself as the Blue Typhoon. After orbiting Sentinel III, a shuttle launched from its hangar. When this shuttle landed Ross emerged from within, leading a team of investigators to investigate Penhold Holdings, named as an asset in the arms running ring. With them was a group commanded by Koichi, who were to provide the firepower needed to crush any Omnipotence agents that dared to disturb their investigation.

Their first stop was the head offices of Luo Industries, one of the companies on Penhold's buyout hit list. The team took a bus to the entrance of a posh office building at the heart of the city's commercial district. Like all the other buildings, it was a giant tower of metal and glass. Ross flashed a badge to the security guards, who gave them access to the President's suite. After a brief trip on the elevator, the team found several security guards lying on the ground in their blood. Many of the guards had been injured and a few were even dead. Ross grabbed a radio and called for security.

"Miho, Filia, Yoh, secure the area until the guards come," ordered Ross. "I'm going on ahead to check up on Luo with the others. I have a very bad feeling about this."

"Okay," replied Miho.

"Got it," replied Filia.

"Of course," replied Yoh.

Ross led the others to Fred Luo's office, where a confrontation was taking place. Luo was backed into a wall, visibly freaked out and surrounded by a trio of hostile black creatures. The first two looked like some kind of devil in leather garb. Their eyes were red and their elongated arms ended in claws coated with blood. Their wings were torn, but still had the power to propel the creatures forward. The third creature was a small black cat that stood on its hind legs. It had large claws covered by open-finger fur gloves. The cat hissed at Luo menacingly.

Just when these monsters were about to attack, Valiance stormed the room. Duskmon moved in with preternatural speed, slicing one of the devils, a Devimon, in the back before he even knew what had happened. Ross and Naomi rolled into the room and fired shots into the chest of the second Devimon. Sakura summoned the Wood card, causing several vines to grow out of nearby potted plants and latch on to the paws of the cat, a Black Gatomon. Yolei, Halsemon, Madison, and Ryo quickly entered the room unnoticed during the commotion and formed a line around Luo.

As their comrades fought off the attackers, the four made sure no one attempted to harm Luo. "Are you okay?" asked Ryo.

"I'm fine," replied Luo, as the four moved him out of the room to safety.

By the time security reached the area, Ross' team had already secured the area and Luo for them. "Mr. Luo, I'm Detective Ross Syllabus of the MPD and Valiance. We came here to ask you about Penhold Holdings." 

"Penhold Holdings? Why them?" asked Luo.

"Well, we have reason to believe Penhold is involved with illegal arms running and sponsoring terrorism. Can you tell me anything?" asked Ross.

"They wanted to buy me out. When I refused, they sent those 'things,' as you can see," replied Luo, referring to the Digimon sent to assassinate him by Penhold.

At that moment, Ross got a call from Tails. "Ross, we have a problem here."

In the background, Ross could hear what sounded like rushing water, hissing, and several people yelling. "What's the matter?"

"I have bad news. Someone sent a cloaked ship to attack the Blue Typhoon. We tried to shoot it down but then it went on a collision course with our ship. It knocked out our hyperspace and dimensional travel capability."

"Is everyone okay? How long before you can get repairs done?" asked Ross.

"No one was seriously hurt but there's a big fire here. We're still trying to put it out. Once we get this under control, it will take us at least four days to get everything cleaned up here," replied Tails.

"Four days? We don't have that time to spare!," complained Ross.

"Yeah I know, but that's the earliest I can get everything done. You'll have to find another ship to investigate Penhold while we get things cleaned up here."

"Okay Tails, we'll figure something out," said Ross before turning to his friends. "Sorry guys, bad news. Someone just hit the Blue Typhoon and now we're stuck here. No one was hurt, thank God."

"Hmm, the timing of this attack..." muttered Amon. "This couldn't be an accident."

"Yeah, seems we're definitely getting close," remarked Naomi. "If there's any time we need push hard, it's now."

"If you're going to go after Penhold, I can give you a lead," offered Luo. "I had my men look into Penhold. Apparently, the board of directors were quite spooked about something. They were so afraid that they went into hiding. After seeing you guys, I finally understand why."

"Is this going anywhere?" asked Naomi.

"I was getting to that. As I was saying, Penhold's brass went into hiding. I had my men look into this and guess what? I managed to find out where three of them had scurried off to!" announced Luo proudly, who then proceeded to describe the locations of the three board members.

The first was Geraldine Banks, a name that was already familiar to Ross. She had been named by Vicontiel Dunner as a key figure in the arms running ring. She was the head of Penhold's accounting department. She was hiding in one of her private mansions in the northern parts of the planet Heifong 7. The second was Avery Price, the vice president of the company. He took refuge in his sea-side vacation home on Tenrei, a planet of hot springs and water parks. The last person was Samuel Stockman, the president of Penhold Holdings. He had fled to the Blue Heaven colony, which was constructed within a massive asteroid.

"Now, I know what you're thinking... How are we going to get to those places without a ship? Well, Fred Luo to the rescue once again! I know a certain someone who can take care of that. He can solve any problem, for the right price. He and I go back a long way. You can say we're more than just friends. He has a very fast ship that can take you there in no time. His name is..."

* * *

"...Gene Starwind," said Ross.

Ross and his allies stood in front of a brick and mortar building. It was a plain building, quite drab in appearance and utilitarian in design. After how Luo described his friend Gene Starwind, Ross' group had expected something a bit grander. The grey structure was not very large as far as buildings were concerned. It had a more cozy appearance, like the business was owned by a simple family. It was marked with the words "Starwind and Hawking Enterprises" in jagged red and yellow letters that seemed as though a bolt of lightning had passed through it.

"Are you sure we are in the right place?" asked Naomi.

"Yep, this has to be it. It says 'Starwind and Hawking Enterprises' right there," replied Ross. "Well, let's go in and check the place out." 

While the others waited outside, Ross and Naomi came face to face with the lobby of the building. As suspected, it was merely a small two floor building with the main floor for business purposes. The smaller second floor had a loft as a living area for the owners. The main floor had a desk with a computer on which a young blond boy was working. The boy was poring over some financial documents. There was a seating area off to the right side for clients to discuss their transactions with the proprietors. One of the proprietors, a young, red-headed man, was seated in the seats.

When Ross and Naomi sent foot inside, the door chimes alerted the red-headed man. "Hello, welcome to Starwind and Hawking Enterprises. I'm Gene Starwind and this is my associate, Jim Hawking. How may we help you?"

"I heard you have a very fast ship," began Naomi.

"That's right! It's called the Outlaw Star. It's a beauty; the fastest, most advanced ship in the galaxy," boasted Gene.

"Really?" asked Ross incredulously. "In that case, it can help us get our job done quickly and be home in time for dinner."

"So, I take it that you need my ship for your job?" asked Gene. 

"That's right. My name is Ross Syllabus, Detective Ross Syllabus of the MPD and of Valiance." Ross flashed a badge to indicate his authority while Naomi did the same and introduced herself.

"Detective? I'm surprised that you don't have you own ship," remarked Gene.

"Yeah, that's a long story," replied Ross. "We need to detain three individuals for questioning about illegal arms running and sponsoring terrorism. This might be a dangerous mission as you might suspect. Our group is 12 people and two animals. We also need to leave immediately. How much would such a job cost and how long would it take to get to each planet?"

"Hmm, we'd need to know where you're going first," replied Gene. Ross repeated the three locations given to him by Fred Luo. "Sure, let me consult my business partner for a moment." Gene broke away and spoke to Jim, who made some calculations. "Okay, to get to Heifong takes a day and then another two to get to Blue Heaven. Tenrei is bit more out of the way, so we need three days to get there from Blue Heaven. For this job, our fee comes out to 100,000 Wong which includes the cost of fuel, supplies, and docking fees."

Ross provided information on Valiance's accounts. "Please bill your fee to our sponsors. So, how soon can we leave?" asked Ross.

"We can leave in about an hour and a half. Please get ready by then," said Gene.

As the agents of Valiance made preparations for their trip, the other crew members of the Outlaw Star came back to the Starwind and Hawking Enterprises building. The first was a beautiful teenaged girl with shoulder-length black hair and a shy smile. The second was also black-haired, but taller, slender, and a bit older being her early twenties. She wore a kimono and radiated an aura of cool confidence. The last woman absolutely radiated personal pride and confidence. She had a tanned complexion, yellowish-white hair, an athletic build, and many cat-like features such as elongated ears. Gene introduced the three as Melfina, Suzuka, and Aisha respectively.

The group made their way to a large red ship housed in a space port. The ship, the Outlaw Star, was fairly slender with a missile-like design to its body. It had four regular thrusters and a spiked drill bit which allowed for faster-than-light travel. As the Valiance heroes waited in the passenger's area, the crew made their launch preparations. Melfina descended down a hatch into a chamber with a turquoise liquid. It rose up such that an image of her naked self was visible within the glass. The Outlaw Star fired its engines and made escape velocity without incident.

Upon entering sub-ether travel, Gene gave command of the ship to Melfina and went to the back to mingle. "Whoa, time to pick up that cute chick!" remarked Gene upon spying Filia. Jim sighed and shook his head.

As Filia walked by, her golden dragon tail popped out from under her dress. Gene was slack-jawed in shock as this event. Out of curiosity, he felt up Filia's tail to see if it was real, which turned out to be a very unwise move. As quick as lightning, Filia drew a mace from under her skirt and clocked Gene across the head. "Gene! Are you okay?" cried Jim as he went to check on him.

"Hmmmph! You pervert!" sneered Filia.

"What the hell are you?" asked Gene.

At that moment, Yolei and Hawkmon came on the scene. Yolei sighed once she realized what had happened. "You peaked under her skirt didn't you?"

"No, he grabbed her tail," said Jim.

"Yeah, I was wondering if it was real," said Gene in his defence.

"Well, if you must know, it's real alright!" said Filia, arms crossed and facing away indignantly. 

"What kind of girl has a tail growing out of her?" 

"A girl who is a golden dragon," replied Yolei. 

"Just great, the one time I get a pretty girl on my ship, she turns out to be a lizard in a girl's skin," muttered Gene while leaving in embarrassment. "Ow," he muttered as he winced and rubbed his head.

The Outlaw Star landed on Heifong 7, the hiding spot of Geraldine Banks. While the crew stayed behind to tend to the ship, the Valiance agents made their way to a luxurious private mansion in the cold northern regions of the planet. Snow was falling from the sky and had formed a blanket of white on the ground. Even from the outside, the mansion seemed warm and cozy, especially when compared to the freezing outdoors. The agents surrounded the mansion at key points while Ross and Naomi approached the front gate.

"Who is it?" asked the voice of a male servant over a wall-mounted communications device.

"This is Detective Ross Syllabus and Naomi Armitage of the MPD. We are here to detain Geraldine Banks for questioning. We were told she lives here."

"I'm sorry, but there is no one by that name around here. Please be on your way," said the servant.

"We are not leaving until we meet her!" declared Naomi.

Ross and Naomi returned to their car. After a few minutes, they received a call from Kero. "Hey Ross, I just saw that woman enter a limo in the back. The limo just pulling up to a gate."

"Damn!" cursed Naomi before activating her radio. "Stop that limo!" 

Just as Banks' limo passed through the gate, the Cardcaptors, Velgamon, and Yolei mounted on Halsemon gave pursuit. The great shadow of Velgamon spooked Geraldine, who ordered her driver to speed up. However, Velgamon was prepared for that move. He spotted a bridge running over a ravine in the distance. He accelerated to top speed and landed at the other end before transforming back to Duskmon. He blocked the middle of the road and waited for the limo to come to him. The driver spotted Duskmon waiting up ahead, and skid to a stop on the bridge.

The icy ground of the bridge made the driver overshoot his mark, causing the limo to crash into a concrete retaining wall. The wall ruptured and the limo came dangerously close to teetering over. "Oh my God, oh my God!" repeated Geraldine, terrified out of her mind.

Sakura and Madison landed behind the limo and called up the power of the Strength card. With the superhuman strength of a superhero, the two yanked the car safely onto the road. When they opened the door to get to Geraldine, she was a shell of herself. The experience of being chased by supernatural entities like Velgamon and nearly going over a bridge traumatized her to no end. She was reduced her to a shell of herself, curled up in a ball and shuddering uncontrollably. She put up no effort to resist as Ross handcuffed her and placed her in his car. 

After taking anything else that may be used as evidence, they secured her within the Outlaw Star, keeping her tied up in ropes. The Outlaw Star sped to its next target, Blue Heaven, where Samuel Stockman, the president of Penhold, was hiding. The Outlaw Star approached a massive asteroid almost as big as the Earth's moon. Even outside, the crew could make out metallic structures and antennas scattered around the surface of the rock. The Outlaw Star travelled through a massive metal door as it pulled into a similarly massive docking bay, where Valiance disembarked.

The heroes of Valiance made their way to Stockman's mansion, a great home not unlike the one Geraldine Banks lived in. It consisted of a spacious lawn of grass sustained by artificial sunlight. Ross and Naomi approached the front gate and demanded to see Samuel Stockman. Rather than receive a reply, they got gunfire from the second story window instead. One of the bullets struck Ross' artificial arm just before he made it to cover behind his vehicle. Naomi, being the quicker of the two, had already begun to return fire from behind cover.

"Are you okay?" asked Naomi.

"I'll be fine. It hit my cybernetic arm," replied Ross. His arm was sparking from the circuitry damaged by the bullet. Ross pulled out a gun and fired a shot at the sniper in the mansion's window. "Hey guys, we could use some help here! See if you can get into the mansion from the back door."

The other members of Valiance converged on the mansion, which clearly contained very hostile individuals. As Yoh leapt over the fence, a second sniper in a second story window opened fire on him. Through the powers of the shaman, Yoh shield himself with a spectral samurai's armour. When the sniper's fire died down, he made a Celestial Slash straight at the window, cutting the gunman down. Behind him was Ryo, who cut down a guard dog with his wooden sword. Ryo joined Yoh in entering the side door of the mansion. 

Inside, they were attacked by one of the mansion's maids, who suddenly breathed fire from her mouth! The two shamans raised their defences to weather this supernatural onslaught. When the maid ran out of breath, Ryo sent forth a shockwave of ghostly white flame which incinerated the maid. As the two searched through the house, they ran into Yolei and Madison. "He's running for his limo! Get to the back!" cried Madison.

The shaman followed the girls on their way to Stockman's limo, which just started its engine. Yolei flung a hail of bullet-like seeds into the car's rear left tire, rendering it flat and useless. The limo started to move, but did so erratically since it lacked the traction of one of its tires. The driver struggled to keep his handicapped vehicle on the road as he moved towards the gate. In a gesture of Sakura's hand, the Sand card appeared in mystical white light. The ground before the limo turned to parched sand which swallowed the limo's tires. The Valiance agents surrounded the limo and took Stockman and anything else of importance into custody.

Upon returning to space, Aisha Clanclan checked out the prisoners, who were tied up in ropes and kept in a vacant cargo hold. "Looks like someone's been naughty!" she teased. Aisha turned to the guard, Ryo. "So you got stuck with guard duty huh?"

"Oh yeah, but it's not so boring now I've got such a beautiful girl to keep me company," said Ryo, giving Aisha his most charming smile. 

"Beautiful girl? That's right! Ctarl-ctarl women are the most beautiful women in the galaxy and don't you forget it!" said Aisha, showing off her good looks to make her point clearer. "It's only natural that any man would be captivated by a Ctarl-ctarl goddess." Aisha posed with a smile and winked at Ryo.

"My shift ends at six, so why don't you join me then in the kitchen?"

"Sounds good, but why don't you let me make dinner? I'm a great cook!" replied Aisha. 

"Mmm, I look forward to it," said Ryo.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded within the halls of the Outlaw Star. A pellet-like device with a face on it rolled into the room on overhead rails. "Aisha, please come to the bridge immediately," said the device, the Outlaw Star's AI controller, Gilliam II.

Aisha returned to her console on the bridge, where the Outlaw Star had detected three unknown ships within its path. "What's going on?" asked Naomi as she went to check.

"We've got company; three hostile ships approaching us," reported Gene.

Without answering any hails, the ships armed their weapons in indication of hostile intent. The three ships were grappler ships, which had long mechanical arms designed for manipulation of objects. In their case, these arms were also for close-quarters combat. The Outlaws Star released camera pods as Gene readied an eyepiece for better visualization of the battlefield. One of the ships raced in with machineguns blazing. The bullets ping-ponged off the chassis of the most advanced ship in the galaxy, merely scratching the paint of the ship.

"Missiles coming in from both flanks!" reported Jim.

"Launch decoys!" ordered Gene. 

Several small glowing pods burst out of bays everywhere around the Outlaw Star. The missiles immediately veered to strike these dummy targets, leaving their main target unharmed. One of the ships closed on the Outlaw Star, causing to the two to enter into a grapple. The contest of strength went back and forth with the enemy gaining the advantage before the Outlaw crew swung it back in their favour. However, in being drawn into close-quarters battle, the other two were able to lock missiles and send them on the Outlaw Star's open flanks.

"More missiles incoming from the flanks!" cried Jim.

"Release more decoys!" ordered Gene. 

Suzuka typed in some commands and like before, the Outlaw Star released pods to lure the missiles away. However, they weren't as effective this time. "They aren't working! The missiles are getting through!" cried Jim. The Outlaw Star trembled as the missiles impacted its chassis. "The other ships are doubling back for another run!"

At this moment, the enemy grappler began to swing the advantage back in its favour. "I'm trying to break free, but this guy's keeping me pinned down!" 

"Oh no, they're launching missiles!" reported Jim. "They will impact in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

Suddenly, a great shell of faint azure light surrounded the Outlaw Star. The missiles impacted this sphere instead, leaving the Outlaw Star unharmed. "Huh?" asked Gene.

"What just happened?" asked Suzuka, seeing that everyone was still alive. 

"Whatever it is, we're back in the game!" cheered Gene, who began pushed back against his adversary in the grapple. 

The advantage he gained was so great that he snapped off the enemy ship's arms. Gene latched his grappler arms around the enemy ship and tore a hole into it, effectively ripping the ship in half. With the momentum swinging back to the Outlaw Star, it launched dozens of missiles into the second of the enemy ships. The missiles impacted all along the chassis, going down the length of the ship until it struck the engines and triggered an explosion. The Outlaw Star continued its rampage with a beeline straight at the final ship with guns blazing. Despite the ship's attempt to flee, the Outlaw Star shot off one of its engines, causing the power core to short-circuit and explode.

"Hi Gene, is everything okay over there?" asked Sakura over the radio. "We were getting worried so we created a shield to protect the ship. I hope we didn't scare you..."

"No, you did us a great favour actually," said Gene.

"Great! You're welcome!" said Sakura before terminating the line.

The Outlaw Star touched on top of a landing pad on Tenrei with a puff of smoke. The planet Tenrei was a lush, temperate world rich in water, vegetation, and animal life. However, it was also a world full of hot springs, which people can soak in to relax and recover from stress and pain. They were originally discovered by a group of Tao priests who were also the creators of the bullets for Gene's special weapon, the Caster gun. Since then, Tenrei has been a vacation spot for tourists everywhere in the galaxy. Every race from human to Silgrian and Ctarl-Ctarl visit here for vacations.

However, this visit was not a vacation for the heroes of Valiance. Tenrei was the hideout of a man who was helping a terrorist organization commit atrocities throughout the anime worlds and possibly beyond. This man was named Avery Price and he was the vice president of Penhold Holdings, a company implicated in the arms running ring through Vicontiel Dunner's testimony. With the recent wave of attacks upon the Blue Typhoon and the Outlaw Star, it seemed that Omnipotence was growing desperate to prevent Valiance from knocking out a critical part of its infrastructure.

The heroes of Valiance came up to a mansion much like the others. No sooner than they approached the abode than a beam of energy came straight for Ross' car. In an instance of quick thinking, Robin ignited a burst of flame which stopped the beam completely. The occupants of Ross' car threw the doors open and scattered to divert enemy fire. Ross fired several shots as he made a beeline to cover behind a rock. His aim was focused on an attacker perched in a tree within the front lawn of the mansion. Ross scored two shots, one to the lower left ribs and the other above the thug's right pectoral muscles.

The thug fell off the tree, out of sight behind the wall. However, the man rose up again as he transformed into a terrifying monster. The brown, nearly black, creature was roughly humanoid in figure, top heavy with massive, muscular arms and torso. The towering creature had a pair of horns protruding from its shoulders and head, and a toothy maw. It let out a blood curdling roar and smashed through the wall to get to Ross. The cybernetic detective emptied a clip onto the creature with no effect whatsoever. Before it could reach his rock, Ross dove out of the way and ran for dear life. Amon hurled a tree into it, buying Ross enough time to escape and regroup.

More thugs in black poured out of the mansion to defend it from Valiance attack. Filia came face to face with a horde of thugs who fired bullets on her relentlessly. However, her barrier of golden magical energy rendered their weapons useless. Once the enemy wasted all of their ammunition, they suddenly bared fangs and hissed at her. Their eyes glowed with crimson light and were filled with supernatural malice. While her barrier held, Filia chanted a prayer to her god, the Fire Dragon King. A divine power spread over the land like a golden light. The vampires burst into flames of brilliant gold as the Fire Dragon King unleashed his wrath upon these foul creatures. The vampires ran around mindlessly, screaming in terror as the flames continued to burn them down to the depths of their souls.

The creature continued its assault on Ross as well as his wife and the witch hunters. The group sent everything they could muster but they couldn't put the creature down. Robin ignited the beast in the most intense flame she could muster. The monster screamed in agony, but was still far from being ready to concede defeat. In anger, it fired an energy beam at Robin, which she blocked by igniting a wall of flame in its path. The creature noticed Naomi shooting at it and proceeded to rip a tree from the ground and hurl it at her. In the nick of time, she rolled out of the way as the tree crashed into the ground. Miho continued to fire her handgun, reloading at regular intervals, but all her shots did was to lodge bullets in the beast without doing anything major damage.

The beast noticed Miho and threw a punch at her, but she leapt away with a boost from Amon's telekinesis. The beast's fist smashed through a street pole and put a hole into the wall behind. The electrical lines tumbled onto the ground with deadly amounts of electricity arcing out threateningly. Seeing an opportunity, Amon telekinetically whipped the exposed wires into the beast, stunning it as electricity surged through its body. Robin ignited the creature once again to exploit its weakened state. Ross, Naomi, and Miho surrounded the beast and unloaded ammunition into it until it collapsed out of exhaustion.

Suddenly, the mansion collapsed onto the ground and a second creature burst out of its ruins. Unlike the one toppled before, this one resembled a turquoise eyeball. It had countless tentacles on its bottom which acted as prehensile limbs. The tentacles had suction cups for gripping and grabbing things. Behind the mass of tentacles was a large toothy maw which the creature used for devouring its prey. Also emerging from the ruins were Yolei, Silphymon, and Pazuzumon, fleeing from the monster. Yoh and Ryo leapt out of harms way and regrouped with the rest of the Valiance team for a concentrated attack. 

"Watch out! That thing's strong!" warned Ryo. 

"That eye thingy is Avery Price. He turned into some kind of monster and attacked us!" cried Yolei.

The rest of the Valiance agents regrouped with their allies after defeating Price's thugs. The eye turned its gaze at the group and fired a searing beam of energy. They scattered in random directions moments before the beam hit the ground and triggered a fiery explosion. Suddenly, Ryo, Yoh, and Robin found themselves being dragged towards the creature through an invisible force. From the sky, Pazuzumon gestured to the creature. A mass of black miasma oozed out of the ground, forming a tar-like patch which entrapped the monster. In addition to slowing the creature, it also shut down its telekinetic powers and freed Ryo, Yoh, Robin.

With the creature rendered vulnerable, Silphymon swooped in and fired a blast of energy. The creature growled in pain and lashed out a tentacle which wrapped around Silphymon's body. The half-man, half-bird Digimon channelled energy into his hands as he grasped the tentacle. Once again, the creature roared in pain and instinctively reared back and released its prey. Miho, Ross, and Naomi continued to pelt the creature with bullets. Even Robin and Amon, using their Craft to incinerate and throw random objects respectively, couldn't keep the creature from continuing its attack.

Down below, Yoh and Ryo, empowered by Filia's prayers, charged at the creature. The creature noticed them approaching and lashed out with its tentacles. However, Filia's prayers caused a barrier to shield the shaman, warding those appendages away without harm to them. The shaman slashed at the creature's body, managing to sever five of its tentacles in total. However, they grew back almost as quickly as they were cut like the heads of a hydra. Yoh and Ryo attempted to manoeuvre behind the creature, who anticipated this course of action and lashed out with its new tentacles, sending the two to the ground.

Madison and Sakura and helped the two shaman get back on their feet. "I'm fine," said Yoh.

"If only we could get onto the creature's back," lamented Amidamaru. "We could do a lot of damage then."

"On his back..." said Sakura, trailing off in thought. "Yolei, I have an idea. Let's keep that thing busy for Yoh."

"Okay, got it covered," replied Yolei.

Yolei invoked the power of the Digiegg of Sincerity and its influence over nature. Vines began to sprout from the ground outside of the miasma patch and latch onto the creature's tentacles. The creature growled and attempted to wrench itself free, but Yolei continued to strengthen the existing vines while growing new ones to replace the ones torn. Seeing her straining, Madison called upon the Wood card to support her with more vines. The others continued to fire on and divert the creature's attention while it returned fire with eye beams which were blocked by Filia's magical prayers.

Sakura pulled up above the creature to allow Yoh to drop onto it's creature's head. He stabbed his sword downwards repeatedly until he opened a wound in the creature's flesh. The creature screeched in pain and lashed a free tentacle to knock Yoh off of its head. However, it was too little, too late, as the wound was already open and out seeped oily black ooze. Before the creature's regenerative powers closed the cut, Pazuzumon and Silphymon fired blasts of normal and negative energy into it. The blasts worsened the cut, causing the creature to scream in pain and more black blood to spurt out.

Even after all of these attacks, the creature still wasn't ready to face defeat. The creature charged up to fire an immensely powerful beam, the most powerful one it had yet to fire. Suddenly, the creature glowed with a pale blue light. From its expression, the creature was clearly shocked by this effect as it was not expecting it to happen. The once three story monster suddenly shrank until it was no larger than a mere basketball. The creature looked around in horror as it faced the angry glares of its victims, who were many times its height and surrounding it.

Like a cornered beast, the creature decided to fight its way out. It fired a beam at Robin, who was directly in front of it. The beam struck a tongue of flame which extended outwards and consumed the creature. As the flames devoured its body, the powerless monster squealed in terror before being reduced to ash. "I think you overdid it a little, Robin," remarked Amon. 

"It really should have just surrendered," said Robin in her defence.

"Hey don't be so down. I would have done the same thing," said Naomi.

"It isn't that serious," dismissed Yolei. "I mean, we nabbed the other two guys without a hitch. We should be able to learn everything we need from them."

"Yeah, that's the spirit Yolei," said Naomi. "Look at the bright side. We probably have a mountain of evidence to get Penhold."

* * *

After having the authorities secure Price's mansion grounds, the heroes of Valiance returned to the Outlaw Star. "Hey guys, how did it go?" asked Aisha.

"Okay I guess. Who would've thought the guy we were chasing turned out to be a monster," replied Yolei, almost with a hint of comical irreverence.

"A monster?"

"Yep, you heard that right; a monster. A big, giant, eyeball monster," replied Yolei. "We wanted to get him alive, but he continued to attack us even after it was clear he was beaten."

"Ah man, that sucked," remarked Gene. "Well, at least you have the other two guys. Not a bad bust if you ask me. These guys are high up, so if they talk, I'm sure you'll learn something from them." 

"Yeah," replied Yolei.

The Outlaw Star returned to Sentinel III space, where the Blue Typhoon was still in orbit. The most advanced ship in the galaxy landed in the capital ship's hangar. Jim was the first to disembark followed by the Valiance heroes, their prisoners, and then the rest of the Outlaw Star crew. "Gene, I'm going to talk to the captain. See ya later." About two hours later, Jim returned from his meeting with the captain of the Blue Typhoon. "Hi Gene, I'm back." 

"Yeah, why the hell did it take so long?" asked Gene.

"I was having a long chat with the captain to secure some new clients for our business. Unlike some people, I know the importance of taking advantage of any opportunities that present themselves."

"Yeah, yeah," replied Gene. "So what did he say?"

"Well, he gave me contact information and promised to put in a good word for us. They are in a difficult fight with this terrorist group. They are looking for any experts and specialists that can help them in the front lines or in support."

"Hmm, more work... I'm not complaining," said Gene. "Things have been a little slow lately."

A week later, Folken, Eddie, Jinto, and Lafiel read the reports and conclusions from Ross' interrogations and analysis of the documents captured from Penhold. "If I'll give Omnipotence anything, it's that they're very clever," remarked Folken.

"Hmm... So it seems that Omnipotence funded and built up Penhold to acquire weapons makers like Luo Industries and Positron," remarked Eddie. "They get some other goons to take discarded weapons and pretend to trash them. These guys clean up the weapons, change a few numbers around, and sell them on the black market. Really smooth con game..."

"Well, now with Penhold and all those other companies being investigated, Omnipotence's arms running will come to a screeching halt," concluded Jinto.

"I want to thank you, Eddie and Folken, for all that you've done for us. With your help, I feel that we can turn the tide of the war back home," said Lafiel.

"You're welcome," said Eddie.

"Don't rest on your laurels quite yet," warned Folken. "It seems we can't avoid fighting the Toons any longer, now that we know Omnipotence is with them. They now have control over a new super weapon too. I do have some good news though. We learned of some people who'd be willing to do some jobs for us. They are led by a man named Gene Starwind. They helped Ross in the report we've just read."

"Sure, tell me more about them," requested Eddie.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#28 Tenhei, The Leveled Star: Gene Starwind (Outlaw Star)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#67 Chimei, The Clear Star: Jim Hawking (Outlaw Star)   
#96 Chido, The Serving Star: Melfina (Outlaw Star)  
#98 Chiaku, The Fierce Star: Aisha Clan-Clan (Outlaw Star)  
#102 Chikei, The Avenging Star: Twilight Suzuka (Outlaw Star) 

Spotlight: Outlaw Star

Outlaw Star is a space anime which follows the adventures of the crew of the titular ship. Their leader is Gene Starwind, who runs an odd jobs business with his partner, Jim Hawking. In the course of seeking their fortune, the two acquire their ship, the other members of their crew, as well as a goal, which is to find the Galactic Leyline. Many rumours and fables surround this location in the galaxy, such as it being the hiding spot of fantastic treasures. The anime chronicles the Outlaw Star crew's discovery of the Galactic Leyline and its true purpose. 

Origin:  
Most of the Outlaw Star crew are, appropriately, outlaws. In the context of the Outlaw Frontier, they are not criminals, but simply independent individuals without strong ties to any government. Most of the crew became outlaws due to a desire for independence, a desire to seek fortune on their own terms. Each has honed their skills through training from Gene's gunplay, to Jim's computer and business knowledge and Suzuka's swordsmanship. Aisha is the exception, being a well off Ctarl-Ctarl with strong ties to her people's government. She was born with her superhuman abilities and is well educated.

Powers:  
The Outlaw Frontier has ki as the secondary of its main power types. Those who use ki are rarer than the science that is ubiquitous in this world. Some swordsmen can tap into limited ki for their techniques while "Caster" guns fire ki-enchanted bullets. Ctarl-Ctarl use ki for their transformation into beasts. The most prominent ki users would have to be Tao priests or priestesses. Most of them serve the various pirate groups. Ironically, several of the Kei Pirates have formed their own version of the 108 Stars. However, they are not the true 108 Stars who make up the key players in Valiance.

The most common power type is definitely science in the Outlaw Frontier. The peoples of that world have faster than light engines and have colonized, even terraformed, several planets in the galaxy. They have nuclear fusion as a source of fuel and ship-mounted energy weapons. They also have devices capable of generating energy shields. The Outlaw Frontiersmen even have advanced AI that can run computers like that of the Outlaw Star.


	20. Wrath of God Story, part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. This chapter features Avatar: The Last Airbender, by Nickelodeon. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Wrath of God Story, part 1: The Bender Rebellion **

Although the forces of Valiance were successful in shutting down Omnipotence's arms running ring, they were unable to stop them from acquiring an even more powerful weapon, the Eye of God. As a mere terrorist group, Omnipotence's threat was effectively limited and could be routed out eventually. With the acquisition of the Eye of God, Omnipotence now controlled one of the most terrifying weapons ever created in the anime worlds. Now that they have this weapon, their threat had grown exponentially. By now, Omnipotence would have repaired the Eye and upgraded it to be even more threatening.

Though this weight hung deeply over the heroes and champions of Valiance, they still took the time to unwind and relax before the epic battle. Until they knew the location of the Eye, there was nothing they could do. In the meantime, Lina Inverse, genius sorceress, purchased an ice cream cone from a local vendor. "That will be $3."

"Here ya go!" said Lina.

As she ceded her place in line to Zelgadis, the Muldoon priestesses walked by. "This place isn't half bad," remarked Afura. "There are lots of places to shop and many new things we don't have over in El Hazard."

"Yeah, it..." began Shayla, who didn't see Lina cross before her. She bumped into the sorceress, causing the ice cream to land on her clothes. "HEY! Watch where you're going!"

"Why don't you watch where YOU'RE going!" retorted Lina. The two girls glared at each other.

Zelgadis quickly made his way to Miz and Afura. "If I were you, I'd run really far!" he whispered.

The priestesses followed Zel in escaping the metaphorical exploding bomb. True to form, the two girls began to blast each other with jets of flame. Their attacks ignited several explosions before culminating in a final, massive plume of flame. When the smoke cleared, both girls were on the ground in contorted positions. They were heavily charred and their hair mussed. "Why don't we call it a draw," suggested Lina.

"Yeah," replied Shayla, before both fell unconscious.

As Joe came on the scene to check on them, he threw his arms up in exasperation once he saw Lina. "Not you again... Do you have to blow up every little thing that makes you mad?" Since Lina was so hurt, she was in no condition to object. Joe shook his head as he sighed and began to tend to Lina. "I'm doing this too far too often." 

Elsewhere, Winry Rockbell was touring the Valiance facilities. The advanced technology was a treat for her eyes. Everywhere she went, she ogled the houses, the vehicles, and the machines used by the workers of Valiance. She entered the mecha hangar and was enthralled by the machines that formed Valiance's mechanized division. In the hangar was a dozen M1 Astrays were lined up in rows of six flanking the central walkway. Work crews zipped from machine to machine and from the central walkway to the raised side walkways.

"So tell me, how does that thing work?" Winry asked Kira Yamato, who was programming one of the Astrays from its cockpit.

"Oh, it's really complicated. There are computers in this suit which regulate power and send electronic signals to servos in the limbs to make it move," replied Kira as he typed away rapidly. "There are sensors for locating enemies and a radio for communication."

"I want to know how this things works. I really want to take it apart," commented Winry.

"No sorry," said Kira. "You can't do that. If you want to see mobile suit parts, ask the guys in the chop shop."

The mechanics in the chop shop gave Winry broken and useless parts for her to fiddle with. She enjoyed looking at how the parts worked, despite them being far more advanced than what she normally found on Alchemic Earth. She looked at the time and rushed down the roads of the Valiance base kicking up clouds of dirt behind her. She burst through the door of a dome into a classroom. There were several people already there, scattered around the room and chatting to each other. Although she didn't know all of the people in the room personally, she had seen many of them about the base. 

"Phew, I'm not too late," she thought, still panting between breaths.

"Hi Winry," said Al.

"Oh hi Al," said Winry. "I wonder what they're going to teach us?"

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing too. I heard rumours that they're going to talk about those strange tablets in the square. If you ask me they're going to a lot of trouble for all this."

"Did you hear anything about our teacher?" asked Winry.

"Word is that our teacher is a powerful wizard. They say he taught some of the people who formed Valiance," replied Al.

Suddenly, a flicker of light filled the room as Clow Reed magically appeared by the desk. "Class is in session, everybody!" The students sat randomly around the room, but grouped themselves along their cliques and circles of friends. "I'm Clow Reed. I'll be your teacher for this class. I'm sure you're all wondering why you are here. As a group, Valiance consists of many different people of all ages and abilities. To work well with each other, you all should get acquainted with each other. I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves."

One by one, each student introduced themselves to Clow Reed and the class with an account of how they came to join Valiance. No two tales were alike. The operatives of NERV described how Omnipotence attacked their headquarters and how Valiance evacuated them. The brothers Elric and Winry described the State's investigation into an Omnipotence attempt to provoke a war in Ishbal. The Outlaw Star crew described how they ferried Valiance agents as they travelled the galaxy arresting members of an arms running ring. Each clique told their own story, revealing their history to the others.

"Very good," commented Reed. "I will say that your experiences were no accident. It was the result of fate. It was the result of a phenomenon that repeats itself again and again throughout generations. This all was the result of the 108 Stars of Destiny coming together." Clow Reed gestured with his hand, causing images of the Tablets of the Stars to appear. "Inscribed here are the names of the Stars. The 108 heroes and those around them who hold the power to affect people's lives for better or for ill." 

Many of the students saw their names on the tablets, which prompted them into gossip. Ritsuko raised her hand. "Aren't you being just a little bit overdramatic?"

"Not really," replied Reed. "I'm surprised you'd ask that after you told me about your background at NERV. I got the impression that someone in your position makes decisions that affect people's lives every day. You also made the decision to join Valiance when you didn't have to. You may not be one of the Stars, but you do things similar to what they were chosen to do. It is that not the same responsibility that all of us at Valiance carry?"

"I see," replied Ritsuko.

After half an hour passed, Clow moved onto discussing the nature of superhuman powers across the anime worlds. "Next we'll talk about the superhuman powers that are used in the various worlds. Without them, we'd all be mere cavemen. As you should know by now, some of you possess special gifts, unique abilities that nobody else has. Whatever they may be, they can be classified as one of four categories which are science, psionics, ki, and magic. Everyone can use science to some degree, so I will not explain it, but some people can use the other three. My special abilities are magical in nature, in case any of you are curious."

"So what powers do we have?" asked Ed.

"You powers are magical, like mine. I can sense it within you. Also, you and I are good examples of how two people can have powers that are in the same category, but yet be so different from each other. As a category, magic tends to do things that seem particularly fantastic and unnatural to most people."

"What about our group?" asked Shippo.

"Your group uses ki. It deals with Eastern mysticism and powers that come from the spiritual energy of the body. It's a staple of martial artists, who use it to perform energy attacks and extraordinary feats of strength and speed."

This topic piqued the interest of his class. "So what kind of powers do me and my friends have?" asked Jim.

"Ah, an interesting question. Your group is mixed, unlike the others. Aisha and Suzuka have ki powers whereas the rest of you just have science."

Nanami raised her hand. "What about us?"

"You powers are psionic in nature. Psionic powers allow the mind to affect the world. Some things it is known for include the ability read people's thoughts, sense the future, or move things with just a thought."

Kagome raised her hand. "What about Morty? What kind of powers does he use?"

"He's a shaman so he uses ki like you do," replied Reed. After answering a few more questions, Reed moved onto the final topic, Paradox. "My last topic for the day is Paradox. This phenomenon can be one of the most dangerous things you will ever come across. Since you're now exposed to people who can do fantastic things, you might get the idea to emulate them. Let me tell you now it is a bad idea, because it causes strange and possibly dangerous things to happen to you. That class, is what we call 'Paradox.'" 

Reed's warnings caused the class to break out in gossip. Ed raised his hand. "Paradox? If such a thing exists, why haven't I heard about it until now?"

"Many reasons," replied Reed. "Dimensional travel between anime universes is very restricted so there is little contact between anime worlds. Paradox only applies when multiple worlds meet each other like now." 

Al raised his hand to speak. "It seems like a lot of trouble for everyone. I think a lot of good can come from learning the powers of another world. What purpose could something like this have in the grand scheme of things?"

"Glad you asked. I don't want to bore you with strange metaphysical stuff that might go over your head, so I'll try to be succinct. While this is only a theory, researchers like myself believe that Paradox acts as a stabilizing force for all worlds. Each world develops rules based on what is possible and how. When you mix powers, you are violating these rules and creating instability within yourself. Something has to give and eventually it does. Paradox resolves the contradictions inherent in using different powers, preserving stability."

* * *

The Eye of God ominously approached the Great Blue under escort by a fleet of ships. The fleet of warships came to this blue world for but one purpose, conquest. Once the metal eye reached the planet, it entered into orbit above a grand palatial building. It was constructed from cement and decorated with marble statues. At its centre was a grand dome which housed the World Assembly where leaders from each nation would convene. Indeed, this great building was the seat of world power in the Great Blue, the World Government Building. 

The Eye of God charged up such great power that it was visible as a sphere of darkness on its pupil. In truth, this sphere of darkness was a miniaturized black hole held within the safety of an electromagnetic field. The Eye of God fired this black hole, which crashed into the dome. It expanded large enough to swallow a city block upon contact. In a single instant, the World Government Building was devoured. Hurricane force winds picked up, threatening to pluck everything from the ground and pull it into the abyss. On the ground, a pair of individuals, one woman and one man, desperately clung to a tree and dear life.

"Ms. Vivi hold on!" cried the man, trying to scream through the noise. Vivi lost her grip and the black hole pulled her into the air. Through quick thinking, she extended a jewelled chain and wrapped it around the tree. She pulled herself back to the tree and to the side of her retainer, Igaram, with every ounce of strength she could muster.

From the Abh ships came dozens and dozens of smaller ships. Like meteors, the drop ships descended on the planet's surface carrying Abh and Omnipotence forces. Within an hour, the major centres of government were under the control of Abh and Omnipotence troops. Caught in the midst of the attack was a group of pirates known as the Straw Hat Pirates. Their captain was a dark haired young man with a scar across the skin beneath his left eye. His name was Monkey D. Luffy, a happy-go-lucky character with an air of innocence. However, this young man was waving to call his crew to him.

"Over here! Chopper, Zolo!" cried Luffy.

Luffy's companion, a cute, orange-haired woman, pointed at an abandoned portal. "Hurry up! We have to warn someone quickly!" she cried.

"I'm running as fast as I can, Nami!" replied Zolo, swordsman of the Straw Hats.

Nami punched in some keys in the console. "Alright Nami, it's time to go!" cheered the cowardly member of the Straw Hats, Usopp.

Without hesitation, the Straw Hat Pirates leapt into the portal. On their way to their destination, they soared through a tunnel of energy where they saw ephemeral visions of all the wonders that made up the anime worlds. Nami could see a huge mountain which dominated a lone island in the middle of the sea. Luffy spotted the Tokyo Tower of one of the countless versions of Tokyo that existed. Usopp noticed a great hourglass-like space station adrift in the void of outer space. At the end of the tunnel, Zolo spotted a divine retreat perched high above the clouds atop a stone stalk before passing out.

When the Straw Hats recovered, they found themselves in a strange land. "Where are we?" asked Luffy.

"Hello there," asked a green-skinned alien in robes as he approached. "My name is Dende. Are you okay? Who are you?"

"We're fine," replied Luffy. "My name's Monkey D. Luffy, soon to be King of the Pirates! This is my crew, Nami, Usopp, Zolo, Chopper, and Sanji. Where is this place?"

"This is Kami's Lookout of Zeta Earth. I take it that you're not from around here..." 

"No, we're from the Great Blue," replied Luffy. 

"Yeah, aliens invaded our world. We managed to get out before they got us. We're looking for someone that can help us," said Zolo.

"I see," replied Dende. "Actually, I do know someone who can help you. Please come inside and rest while you wait. If you need anything, just ask Mr. Popo."

Dende led the Straw Hat Pirates into his temple and introduced them to a black-skinned genie, Mr. Popo. In about half an hour, a Valiance ship appeared in the sky above Kami's Lookout. It landed with a brief hiss and out walked Trunks and Piccolo. Eddie Valiant, the leader of Valiance, was not far behind them. The Straw Hats ran outside to meet these strange new guests. "Hello Dende," greeted Trunks. 

"Hi Trunks," replied Dende. "These are the pirates I was talking about. That's Mr. Valiant is it?" 

"That's correct," replied Piccolo.

"Yeah, why did you call me all the way out here?" asked Eddie.

"We're from the Great Blue," replied Nami. "The Abh has invaded our world. We need help!"

"Invaded your world? When did this happen?"

"About a week ago," replied Usopp. "This huge metal eye popped up over the World Government Building and blew it to pieces like a house of cards. That was when the Abh came. They walked out of their ships and started shooting anyone that wouldn't give in to them. I took out over a dozen of them just trying to get here. I wanted to stay and fight but my friends wanted to run so I had to go with them to protect them!"

Nami groaned. "Oh please Usopp, you're the one who suggested that we run away in the first place!"

"It looks like the Eye of God just got an upgrade," remarked Eddie.

"It would seem that way," agreed Trunks.

"Take them back to Folken," said Piccolo. "Thank you Dende. It's a good thing you told us about them." The Valiance heroes led the Straw Hats to their ship, which lifted off with a brief hiss. Trunks waved to his friend below, who mirrored the gesture.

* * *

In the frontier between the anime worlds and the Tooniverse was a world inspired by the myths and legends of the Far East. This world was the home of strange creatures and four major human civilizations. Each took their name from one of the four classical elements; earth, fire, water, and air. In each civilization was an order of people known as "Benders." Through a combination of martial arts and Eastern mysticism, they could control the namesake element of their civilization. These four nations developed distinct cultures based around these elements.

The Earth Kingdom was the largest of the four nations, situated on a vast super-continent that made up the majority of the landmass in the eastern and northern part of the world. In the Earth Kingdom was the largest city in all of the lands, its capital, Ba Sing Se. True to its land's namesake, this Earth Kingdom city was constructed mostly out of stone. It was surrounded by an impenetrable, heavily guarded wall of stone that towered over the desert underneath. However, it was not Ba Sing Se's guards on those parapets. They were Toon soldiers, armed with energy assault rifles and dressed in camouflage. 

The same situation was present in all of the other three nations. Toon soldiers patrolled along the blackened iron parapets of a Fire Nation city. On the streets below, the dark-haired, red robed Fire Nationalists kept their distance apprehensively. In the north, the Inuit-like Water Tribe whispered in hushed tones as an anthropomorphic guard dog passed by the local tannery. In the mountainside temples of the Air Nomads, Toon guards walked freely amongst the bald, orange-robed monks. Though revering calmness and patience as fundamental values, the monks were nevertheless uneasy with strange armed people wandering through their temples.

Among those helping in the occupation of Ba Sing Se was the Superhero known as the Green Arrow. Being a guard was a far cry from the heroics he was used to performing. As a Superhero of the common people, the Justice League insisted that he take this job, despite his reservations. After nearly half a year in Ba Sing Se, his initial reservations were proven correct. The people did not welcome his presence or that of the Toon soldiers. In fact, they absolutely hated the idea that he and the Toon soldiers were there. He felt like a villain and which was a highly demoralizing state of mind.

The events that transpired over these sixth months only served to reinforce his sentiments. The Bender Nations was a world on the fringes of Toon territory in the political sense. The occupation came about as Adam Acme's policy to occupy and defend all Toon worlds. However, the Green Arrow began to wonder if this occupation was really about protection or more about control. Naturally, the people resented the occupation and subsequent restriction of their freedom. These restrictions led to protests over the occupation and clashes between the authorities and the people.

As Green Arrow stood guard on the ramparts of Ba Sing Se, he looked at the crowd down below. He reminisced about the first riot he had even broken up while on duty. It was a violent and dangerous situation to be in. A crowd had advanced on the police, leading to fists and weapons flying. Green Arrow entered the fray and fired smoke arrows to disperse the crowd. Amidst the chaos, he saw two Toon soldiers stomping a young, unarmed man who was down. To save the man, the Green Arrow fired a second smoke arrow into the guards. As they coughed and fled the area, Green Arrow pulled the man to medics waiting in the fringes. 

The riot and its aftermath left great doubts in Green Arrow's mind about the morality of the Toon presence here. A few days after the riot, he walked down the street in the market place to find something to eat. The people kept their distance from him, fearing and shunning him like the rest of the occupation forces. He looked on as a woman hid behind the blinds in her window. A young boy threw garbage at him and ran away as he walked by the fruit stand of the boy's family. Green Arrow cleaned his uniform with a handkerchief and continued on his way.

Another day came and with it a new protest. In great numbers, people took to the streets in protest, brandishing their placards high into the air. "Toon soldiers, go away! Time to quit Ba Sing Se!" chanted protestors on the streets of Ba Sing Se.

The protesting of the people of Ba Sing Se reached a climax. The Dai Li guards, elite protectors of Ba Sing Se, prepared themselves for a violent confrontation with the crowd. The people advanced on the Dai Li, throwing whatever objects they could get from rotten fruits and vegetables to discarded cans. The garbage rained on the Dai Li, who maintained their defensive line despite the aggression of the people. The people continued their advance as they yelled their slogans at the Dai Li. One overzealous protestor hurled a bottle at a Dai Li guard.

With a single punch with his stone glove, the Dai Li guard shattered the bottle. The irate guard employed his Earthbending skills to slam a boulder into the protestor. In a rage, the other protestors intensified their assault with more bottles and rotten vegetables. In turn, the Dai Li punted boulders at the protestors, crushing several of them in an avalanche of stone. One protestor put a cloth wick into a bottle, lit it with a match, and hurled it at the Dai Li. The Molotov cocktail shattered upon hitting a Dai Li's helmet, scattering its flames everywhere.

"Very bad," remarked the Green Arrow as he loaded an arrow into his bow.

He released the arrow into the midst of the crowd, where it began to leak smoke. The smoke made it tough for the crowd to breathe so they naturally fled to cleaner air. Despite shooting several smoke arrows to disperse the crowd, the protestors continued their assault. They fashioned more Molotov cocktails to hurl at the Dai Li. Green Arrow narrowly evaded the path of a Molotov cocktail thrown into back ranks of the Dai Li. As he fired more smoke arrows, Green Arrow stopped to look at the carnage. The motionless bodies of protestor and police alike on the ground burned an image in his mind that he would never forget.

However, he would not have to endure these atrocities for long. After one final week at his post, he was transferred back to the Justice League Watchtower. In his absence, an even worse atrocity took place. In the sky above Ba Sing Se, a great metal moon appeared. It seemed that the powers that be were fed up with the situation in the Bender Nations. A great sphere of darkness formed before the iris of the great eye, portending the doom that awaited the unwary people. When the sphere reached critical mass, Ba Sing Se would tremble with fear.

The sphere erupted from the eye's iris and exploded into a massive size upon striking the ground. Now a massive black hole, it dragged everything in the area into its hungry, gaping maw. Nothing was spared; not women, not children, and not the elderly. Those who ran in terror did not make it far, for they too were dragged into the abyss. The fierce winds ripped people, pets, and even trees and houses from the ground and sucked them in. When the black hole had had its fill, the only thing it left behind was a barren crater. Nothing remained but the soil, exposed sewer pipes, and the roots of plants under the ground.

In places far from the Bender Nations, people read of the destruction in Ba Sing Se in newspapers and other media. "Although officials are mum about the reason for this attack, sources have suggested that an anime terrorist group was responsible. Back to you, Mike," said a reported on a TV screen.

"Bah!" said a faceless man watching the TV in a cafeteria. "Pure propaganda."

"Hello Question," said Green Arrow, who had just returned to the Justice League Watchtower. "What was that?"

"Ba Sing Se had just been attacked by a superweapon called the 'Eye of God.'"

The Green Arrow sat down and watched a replay on the news. He was horrified at the destruction he had witnessed. "Oh my God..."

"Yeah, but can you believe who they're blaming for this? They're blaming anime Toons," said the Question. "Hey, weren't you stationed in Ba Sing Se before you came back?"

"Yeah," replied Green Arrow. 

"It's Acme that was responsible for this. It's all about control... his control. It's all about keeping everyone afraid. If the people won't obey him, he'll kill them without a second thought." 

"You mean Adam Acme, right? I'm not necessarily saying you're wrong, but what makes you think that?" asked Green Arrow. 

"Everything," replied the Question. "First the Acme government invades El Hazard. Yesterday, the Eye of God, which is an El Hazardan superweapon, miraculously shows up above Ba Sing Se and blows it up. They say anime Toons did it, but what reason would they have to go after the Bender Nations of all places? Come on... Connect the dots. Anyone can tell what's going on!"

Green Arrow sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't agree with you, but after my tour of duty in Ba Sing Se, I don't know what to believe..." 

"Hmm, why don't we talk about this back at my place. I think this place is a little too stuffy," said the Question. The two Superheroes returned to the Question's quarters. "So, what did you want to say about your stay in Ba Sing Se?"

"Yeah, it was horrible. People say we were there to help them but to be honest, I don't believe that anymore, not after what I've been through." Green shook his head in disgust. "They hate us. Every time I pass through the people, they throw garbage at me. They protest the occupation constantly and scream for us to go home." 

"I figured that's what they would think. As I said, with Acme, it's all about control," said the Question. "I've been digging into this guy lately. I've heard many rumours about him being involved in some shady things." The Question activated his computer and showed Green Arrow the research he had made into Acme's background.

"Illegal gun running?" asked Green Arrow.

"Yep," replied the Question. "It seems he has links to the Omnipotence terrorist group, which has been attacking anime Toons lately. These guys have been selling weapons on the black market to finance their organization. I keep trying to tell the other Leaguers about this but only the Huntress will believe me." 

Green Arrow read over the Question's research. "Hmm, you can count me as a believer too."

"Welcome to the club," said the Question. "We can sit here and talk about it, but that won't make things better for anyone. We have to do something. You've been to Ba Sing Se so you know how bad it is there. Huntress initially wanted to take out Acme, but I warned her that that might not change things for the better."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the corruption might not end with Acme. It's possible that the corruption runs far deeper than that. No, I'm certain it goes further than him. The only way we can be safe is if we remove the entire Acme government." 

"You mean start a revolt, just the three of us?" asked Green Arrow.

"I guess, but I don't think that we can do it alone, despite our abilities. We really should get more people involved to make it legitimate. We need friends. We need to find people who will help us, but we have to be careful of who we trust."

Within the next few weeks, the Question and Green Arrow began to construct a network of sympathizers. Green Arrow began by confiding his experiences in Ba Sing Se to Black Canary, as well as the doubts and suspicions he had developed while there. The Question held a private meeting with the Huntress in her quarters to tell her what he and Green Arrow had decided. With Black Canary's sympathy, they had gained a new ally. Although still small, Green Arrow and the Question's force was growing. Green Arrow approached Batman next, who was reviewing several files in his quarters in the Justice League Watchtower.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Batman.

"Lots of things," replied Green Arrow. "...Suspicions about Adam Acme and shady things he is involved in."

"Shady indeed," replied Batman. 

"I take it that you know something about him?" asked Green Arrow.

"Of course. You aren't the only one who has heard those 'rumours.' I been looking into them too. I know about Acme's corruption. I know he's not the only one we have to worry about. I also know that you and the Question have been looking for 'friends' lately..." Batman turned to the Green Arrow and smiled.

"You're starting to sound like the Question..." remarked Green Arrow.

"Am I? I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. I'm still surprised you didn't come to me sooner."

"Well, you're not the most approachable person," admitted Green Arrow. "If you're coming on board, then welcome to the team!" Batman and Green Arrow shook hands to seal the agreement.

Green Arrow continued his recruiting mission with one of the people who went on his first mission in the Justice League. She was Supergirl, a relative of a Justice League founder, Superman. "Hello, can I talk to you in private for a moment?" asked the Green Arrow. 

"Sure," replied Supergirl.

The two returned to Supergirl's quarters to discuss matters in private. "Listen, we go back a long way, right? We've been through a lot. We went on our first mission for the Justice League together and many others like it since then," began Green Arrow.

"Yeah, but could you get to the point?" asked Supergirl.

"After serving in Ba Sing Se, I'm beginning to have major doubts about the Toon government and President Acme."

"Is that why you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," replied Green Arrow. "I don't know what to think. I've heard many things about him being involved in shady things."

"What do you mean by 'shady things?'" asked Supergirl.

"I heard that he's been involved in illegal gun running and terrorism," replied Green Arrow.

"That's sounds serious, but rumours aren't always true..."

"You haven't seen the things I've seen when I was in Ba Sing Se," said Green Arrow. "The people don't like us. Every time I passed by, they threw garbage at me. They don't love us. The hate us, but when Acme goes on TV, he always insists that we're making protecting them, making them safer. It's not about protection, I know that now... It's all about control. When the people would not listen to him any more, he had them killed."

"Are you saying Acme killed those people?" asked Supergirl.

"That's what I'm beginning to suspect. Think about it... They invaded El Hazard and then an El Hazardan superweapon shows up above Ba Sing Se and kills its people. Would they ever admit to doing something like that? Our boys were occupying that place. They had full access to everything in El Hazard including the Eye of God. It would have been easy for them to take the Eye of God and use it against Ba Sing Se."

"I..." At that moment Superman walked in on the two. "Clark?" 

"Kara, stay away from him!" said Superman. "Green Arrow, you're coming with me!"

Knowing he could not overpower or escape the Man of Steel, Green Arrow quietly followed. Along the way, the Question joined them, being led away by the Green Lantern in a similar fashion. As they passed by the cafeteria, many Leaguers came to look. "Acme is a tyrant!" cried Question. "This is how he treats his Superheroes!"

The Question's cries did just what he wanted. It drew attention to them and got the other Leaguers to gossip. At that moment, Zatanna walked in on the incident. "What's going on?" she asked.

By now, a crowd had gathered around, anxiously wondering about the situation. "There is nothing to see. Go back to what you're doing," ordered Superman.

"Yeah, just like that he wants us to forget the crimes we have witnessed," said the Question.

Green Arrow saw this was his cue to speak. "We all saw a terrible crime being committed in Ba Sing Se and it was Acme who was responsible. His government had full access to the Eye of God during the occupation of El Hazard. As the Justice League, we were supposed to protect the people from these kinds of things but we failed. It is our duty to correct this mistake and save the people." 

Superman shoved the Green Arrow into the ground. "Argggh!" groaned the Green Arrow.

"Don't you dare try to incite them!" warned Superman.

However, Superman's actions only made the situation worse for him. It made many of the Superheroes even more sympathetic. "We were a part of Acme's crimes each step of the way," admitted Black Canary. "Can you all see what we're becoming?"

This was the moment that forced the Justice League to take sides. The signs of the League's bifurcation became all too apparent. No longer was it a united entity. "I voted for Acme because he would not let anime Toons intimidate us. I don't know how you could listen to a nut like the Question, but I'm backing the man who will protect us. I'm behind Acme 100," said Captain Atom.

"Well said," echoed Green Lantern.

"I'm with Green Arrow. He is a hero of the common man, the person we should be protecting. You guys have been sitting in an ivory tower for too long. I'm with him," said Fire, who promptly took the side of the rebels.

"Batman showed me evidence of Acme's crimes. It's time we did something about it," said Zatanna, who also joined the rebel faction.

The arguments continued amongst the League members. More and more of their ranks began to take sides in the matter of Acme's rule. Only a handful were unsure of what to think and even fewer decided to opt out. The subject of Acme's crimes as Toon President was an inflammatory subject. Both sides could not reach a consensus on what to do about Acme. Nearly half of the Justice League dismissed the accusations as a fantasy that could only come from a kook like the Question. The rest knew they had allowed a bad situation to go on for too long. They desired to end the crimes being committed in their name.

"All of you who want to stop Acme come with me," said Green Arrow. "Since the Justice League will not do anything about him, we'll make our own team to stop him."

"No," said Superman plainly. "If you go against Acme, you will have to go against all of us too!"

Green Arrow let out a sigh of resignation. "I hope that it didn't have to come to this, but if we are to do the right thing, we have no other choice. Zatanna, please get us out of here."

"Ekat su ot ytefas," chanted Zatanna. In the blink of an eye, all of the anti-Acme League members vanished.

The Green Arrow's Superheroes appeared in a secluded forest somewhere within Europe. "So what's our next move?" asked Zatanna.

"We prepare," said Batman. "We can't use the Watchtower anymore. We'll need a new base of operations."

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#56 Chirei, The Clever Star: Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece)  
#60 Chibou, The Barbarous Star: Roronoa Zolo (One Piece)   
#70 Chiman, The Full Star: Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)  
#84 Chiyu, The Obscure Star: Usopp (One Piece)  
#93 Chizou, The Hoarding Star: Sanji (One Piece)  
#106 Chimou, The Rat Star: Nami (One Piece)

Spotlight: One Piece

This anime follows the adventures of the Straw Hat pirate crew led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy's dream is to find Gold Roger's fabled treasure, One Piece, and become King of Pirates. Luffy is not the cruel, cold-hearted scoundrel that most pirates are. In fact, he is a kind, compassionate person who helps others. As a result of his journeys, he has helped several people deal with hostile pirates and other criminal elements. Despite having made several friends, he has also made several enemies, including the World Government, which has put extremely large bounty on the heads of his crew.

Origin:  
Most of the Straw Hat crew members learned their skills through training from Zolo's swordsmanship to Chopper's medical skills. Chopper could not have learned his medical skills without the humanoid traits he gained from consuming the Human Human Fruit. Luffy, on the other hand, gained his powers by eating the cursed Gum Gum Fruit. Luffy set out to fulfill his dream and befriended his future crew members along the way, helping them with their problems.

Powers:  
The Great Blue is a particularly low-technology world when compared to more modern anime worlds, let alone space-faring worlds. The people have developed crude mechanical devices as well as gunpowder and derived weapons like guns and cannons. They have ships strong enough to withstand the trip to other continents over the sea.

The most fantastic powers come from consuming Cursed Fruit. One who eats Cursed Fruit is mutated by it, gaining a special psionic power. Such a power could be anything, from Luffy's rubber body, to Chopper's humanoid characteristics. However, these useful powers come with a terrible cost. Cursed Fruit cause their consumers to be weakened by sea water, effectively rendering them useless in the water. In the high seas adventures of the Great Blue, this is a very big problem.


	21. Wrath of God Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. This chapter features Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Wrath of God Story, part 2: The Pillar of Cephiro **

Even the destruction of Ba Sing Se and the Great Blue's World Government building couldn't satiate the bloodlust of those who controlled the Eye of God. Their next target was the fantastic world known as Cephiro. It was a world of magic and fantasy, a world where science had largely fallen to the wayside. A world of the will, those who live on Cephiro can shape things through the sheer power of imagination. In the past, this beautiful land was supported by a succession of nearly omnipotent individuals known as the Pillar. Through their prayers, they sustained the existence and peace of the world.

However, tragedy struck with the second last Pillar of Cephiro, Emeraude. In truth, although the Pillar system of Cephiro granted near omnipotent powers, it was also a prison for the Pillar herself. As the Pillar, she had no choice but to think of Cephiro's well-being, lest it fall into ruin. However, that was what exactly happened during Emeraude's tenure as Pillar. Having fallen in love with her high priest, Zagato, she could no longer maintain her thoughts on Cephiro's well-being. Until she died, no one else could replace her as the new Pillar. She summoned the three Magic Knights to her world, the only individuals who could end her life.

However, that was only the start of Cephiro's problems. After Emeraude's death, a new evil known as Debonair terrorized the now crumbling world. In addition, three foreign nations from across space planned to invade the world and place one of their own as Pillar. In the midst of the conflict, it would be the Magic Knight Hikaru Shidou who would ascend to the position of Pillar. As her only official acts as Pillar, she used her power to annihilate Debonair and forever abolish the Pillar system which had caused so much grief and suffering. Peace returned to Cephiro once again, or so everyone thought.

In a repeat of the attacks by the three nations, the Eye of God materialized in the space surrounding Cephiro. Down below, the lush green world seemed so peaceful and blissfully unaware of the danger that was to befall them. A great sphere of darkness formed over the muzzle of the Eye's cannon and burst forth. Death and destruction was the only thing left in its wake. Upon descending to Cephiro, the sphere expanded to a massive size, swallowing a stone governmental building within a great city. Fierce winds began to drag anything and everything around ground zero into inevitable doom within a black hole.

Houses and people were ripped from the streets and pulled into that black, hungry maw. In the violent, deafening swooshes of the wind, no one could hear the horrified screams of the citizens. In but a few minutes, it was all over and all that remained was a barren crater. However, that would not be the end of Cephiro's danger. Following the Eye of God's attack were hundreds of Abh drop ships, which descended onto the planet surface. The Abh and their Omnipotence allies crushed all who stood in their way. Their troops flooded into the crystalline Palace of the Pillar and had overrun it within an hour.

The Abh led Acme to the centre of the palace, where the door to a special chamber was located. "Ah, so this is the Pillar room," he remarked.

"Yeah, but there hasn't been a Pillar for quite awhile," said the Abh beside him. 

"Ah, but that's only for the time being," said Acme. "My men are working on a way to rectify that problem. When they succeed, I will become the new Pillar."

"So you're interested in becoming the Pillar? What good will that do?" asked the Abh.

"My Chimera, you're far too short-sighted for your own good. Who said I wanted to be the Pillar of only Cephiro?"

"Ah!" replied Chimera. "But what will we do about Valiance? Their interference had compromised our operations. In time, they will learn of our presence here and come to drive us out."

"Don't worry, the Eye of God will take care of them long before that happens."

* * *

It was a peaceful day as usual in the city of Tokyo within yet another version of Earth. The Tokyo tower stood over the rest the city as a symbol of Japan's economic might. Foreigners from countless countries toured the great structure and looked outside to the rest of the city from the tower's observation lounge. Among the tourists were a trio of teenaged girls, all visiting the tower on their vacation. This place was a place of countless memories to them, since they were in this tower before they were brought to Cephiro for the first time ever. They were the Magic Knights, Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuzaki, and Fuu Hououji.

The first, Hikaru, was the shortest of the three, which gave her a pixyish, child-like exuberance. She was also the fieriest of the three girls with hair to match. The second was Umi, the tallest of the three and carried herself as one of high birth normally would. Her hair was flowing blue like the water she commanded with her magic. The last was Fuu, the most intellectual of the three, as suggested by the large glasses she wore. Unlike the other three, she seemed far more meek and reserved compared to her friends.

"Umi, Fuu! Over here!" cried Hikaru.

"Hikaru! It's great to see you," said Umi.

"It's so nice to be back here!" said Fuu, looking over her friends and the Tokyo Tower.

"So how have you been?" asked Hikaru. An impish smile crossed her face. "Did you meet any cute guys?"

"Well..." began Umi, reluctant to speak any further.

"Oh, please tell us," begged Fuu.

"Nah, it's too personal," said Umi. "I'm not the type to kiss and tell... Oops!" 

"You kissed him?" asked Fuu.

"Oh please tell us! We want to know all the juicy details!" pressed Hikaru.

"Magic Knights? Magic Knights, can you hear me?" asked a mysterious male voice.

"Clef?" asked Umi. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it is me," replied the voice. "Cephiro is in great peril. We need your help immediately."

"We'll come right away, we just have to..."

Before Hikaru could finish her sentence, the floor suddenly disappeared from underneath them! They found themselves tumbling down the azure sky of Cephiro. When they finally reached the ground, they landed in a pile on top of each other. "Ow!" groaned Umi as she arose to her feet. "You'd think Clef would find a better way to bring us to Cephiro than this..."

"Oof, I don't mean to be rude, but please get off!" said Fuu's muffled voice from somewhere unseen.

"Sorry!" said Hikaru as she got off of Fuu, who was at the bottom of the pile. Hikaru extended a hand and pulled her friend off of the ground.

The three dusted off their Magic Knight regalia and looked around. "Well, we're in Cephiro again. I wonder what's going on?" asked Umi. 

"Magic Knights, can you hear me?" asked Clef. 

"Yeah, we hear you!" replied Umi. "Where are you?"

"Magic Knights, I am in a cavern in the mountains north of your location. Please go there, but be careful. The enemy wanders the lands in search of us. They will attack if they find you. Hurry!"

The Magic Knights looked to the north, where they spotted the mountain range from Clef's instructions. It was at the end of the grassy plains that they were currently standing on. The girls rushed to the north as quickly as they could. Before they could reach the mountains, they heard what sounded like air whirling and rushing through a vent. When they followed the sound to its source, they found a strange, futuristic vehicle much like a helicopter hovering through the air. The vehicle had an organic, rounded design with air vents clearly visible under a pair of wing-like protrusions.

"You are under arrest! Surrender or we will open fire!" demanded a voice over a speaker.

"We can't let them take us. We have to get to Master Clef as soon as possible," declared Fuu. "Winds of Protection!"

A barrier of visible, swirling green air surrounded the Magic Knights. The hovering vehicle fired on them with bolts of energy, but they merely deflected off of the barrier. Hikaru cast the Ruby Lightning spell, which sent tendrils of crimson electricity surging forth from her fingers. The Ruby Lightning blew out one of the craft's rotors. Smoke and flame billowed from it as the chopper began to flounder unpredictably through the air. The Magic Knights scattered as the vehicle suddenly nose-dived towards them. When they checked on the wreckage, all that remained was a pile of twisted, smouldering metal. 

"What was that thing?" asked Umi.

"I'm not sure, but it looked like a helicopter," replied Fuu.

"We'd better get to Master Clef before more of them show up," urged Hikaru.

The Magic Knights reached the side of the mountain and searched the area. "Where's the entrance?" asked Hikaru.

Suddenly, an illusory portion of the mountain vanished, leaving behind a cavern entrance lit by torches. The Magic Knights rushed into the cave before its inhabitant, Master Clef, restored the illusion once again. "Master Clef, are we ever glad to see you! We were attacked on the way here. Who were they?" asked Hikaru.

"These enemies of Cephiro are an alien race known as the Abh."

"Are you saying they're like Eagle from Autozam and the other countries that invaded Cephiro the last time we were here?" asked Hikaru.

"No, they even from any of the worlds you know. They are from another world known as the Blue Stars. Our spies have reported that the Abh appear to be merely puppets of a greater evil. Another force controls them. I heard word that their leader is not a Toon at all." 

"Then is he a human?" asked Umi.

"That's what I've been told."

"Why are they here?" asked Hikaru. "What do they want?"

"According to our spies, they seem interested in Cephiro's Pillar system." 

Hikaru was surprised. "The Pillar system? Why would they want that? It doesn't exist anymore!"

"You're correct, Hikaru, the Pillar system is gone as you wished. However, not only do they intend to restore it, they also seek to expand it past the borders of Cephiro," informed Clef.

"How will they do that?" asked Fuu.

"The enemy has been stealing items from other anime worlds for research. So far, it seems they've made many enemies who are resisting them. Nevertheless, they are continuing with this foolish goal. If they succeed, the consequences would be dire for all of the worlds."

"What do you mean?" asked Umi.

"In every anime world, there are rules that describe how special powers work. Our magic has rules of their own describing how it works and what it can do. When we use powers outside of our sphere of influence, we break these rules and suffer consequences known as 'Paradox.' What the Abh leader intends to do is effectively rewrite the rules governing a world's powers, allowing him to expand the Pillar system to that world. The other worlds were never meant to have a Pillar system like Cephiro did. Forcing our Pillar system upon them would cause Paradox so great, that it could eventually destabilize and collapse all of the worlds involved!"

"He would endanger every world just to become the Pillar? What does he hope to accomplish by doing that?" asked Hikaru.

"That I don't know, but we can't allow him to continue this mad quest. That is why I will send you to join a special group of people. They are known as the Stars of Destiny. You, the Magic Knights, are three of the Stars of Destiny. Learn about the enemy's true nature from them, and help them against it. I will remain behind to help Cephiro's resistance. Good luck!" Clef chanted an unknown spell which created a ring of azure light around the Magic Knights.

"Clef wait! We..." Before Umi could finish her sentence, she had already been whisked away by his magic. The Magic Knights found themselves in a room in a strange land far from Cephiro. From the decor, it looked like a room belonging to a little girl. She was seated facing away from the Magic Knights writing a letter.

"...I think the war will be over soon. Love, Sakura," wrote the girl while reading her writing out loud.

Kero looked over her shoulder. "Sakura, we've got guests!"

She turned around and nearly fell out her seat. "Wow, when did you get here?"

"We've been standing here for awhile," replied Fuu.

"Wow, Sakura? I didn't expect Clef to send us to you!" remarked Umi. 

"Why? What's the matter?" asked Sakura. The Magic Knights told her about what had happened in Cephiro. "They attacked Cephiro too?"

In turn Sakura, related all of the hardships she had gone through fighting Omnipotence from Valiance's formation until now. "We're not the only ones they've attacked..." muttered Hikaru.

"The three of you should really speak to the boss," said Kero. "I'm going to show them to Eddie. Will you be okay Sakura?"

"Sure, go ahead," replied Sakura.

* * *

At the devastated city of Ba Sing Se, sadness was the feeling of the people. Omnipotence's use of the Eye of God had left Ba Sing Se a shadow of its former glory. Despite the desire to grieve, the Earth Kingdom's people endured every hardship sent their way like the element they were named after. Earthbenders began to clear the area of any debris caused by the attack and fill in the crater left in the ground. A tourist looked on and aimed his camera at one of the devastated buildings being cleared away. With a snap, the camera captured the scene on a picture.

Eddie Valiant gazed over the picture and dozens of others like it on his desk. "So it's really that bad over there..." he remarked.

"Yeah," replied Kakashi. "They're blaming anime Toons for this in the Tooniverse, but the Bender Nations don't buy it, especially not with the anti-occupation sentiment and riots."

"Neither would I," said Eddie. "Those are quite some upgrades to the Eye..."

"Although we've have much to worry about, I do have some good news. We've managed to gain the support of a mole within Omnipotence," announced Folken.

"Good," said Kakashi. "We've always wanted to get a spy inside Omnipotence for a long time."

"We managed to arrange a meeting with our mole tomorrow at midnight. He will be waiting behind the locked green door at the back of the Mamma Mia Pizzeria, which is in Reedington in Tarota. Knock on the door three times and announce your presence."

The sun set on Tokyo city in Sakura Avalon's home world of Tarota. Per Folken's instructions, Kakashi made his way to the Mamma Mia Pizzeria, which was a typical pizza joint. The store had closed for the day and its lights were out. The store was completely vacant, as were the streets of Tokyo. Kakashi made his way through the alley and found the green door right where Folken said it would be. Kakashi gave three light knocks to the door. "Hello?" asked Kakashi.

"Tsk tsk, I'd think you'd be happier to hear from me," replied the mole, who sounded particularly sly and cunning.

Kakashi somehow knew that the voice was familiar, but couldn't attach a face to it. After a few seconds, it hit him like a bolt of lightning. His eyes widened in shock. "You!"

"Yes me..." said the voice. "I can't fool you, now, can I?"

"I never thought it would be you of all people. Well, now I'm here. Let's get down to business."

"Indeed," replied the mole. "My information concerns the metal eye. I'm sure you know by now that your enemy has taken control of it. When our employer paid us a visit, we formally presented this weapon to him. You will be surprised to learn who he is."

"Who is he?"

"He is Adam Acme."

"Adam Acme? You mean the President of the Tooniverse; that Adam Acme?" 

"That's correct," replied the contact. "I was surprised myself to learn who he was, but nevertheless, he is the one who is employing my group. I thought that he had merely contracted my group to acquire the metal eye, but as I looked further into this, I found that his involvement runs far deeper."

"...And just how far does it go?"

"As far back as the beginning of Omnipotence," replied the contact. "I suspect he was one of the earliest members if not a founder. He has moved his hideout to the world Cephiro as well as most of his forces. I don't know when, but he intends to use the metal eye in a final strike against your base. Be prepared."

"I see," replied Kakashi. "You took a great risk to tell us these things. We are grateful." All Kakashi could hear was the subtle shifting of the air behind the door as the contact left.

* * *

Somewhere in the Appalachia, the rebelling Justice Leaguers had finished construction of a new hi-tech headquarters. Built entirely under the ground, this headquarters was a place where they would coordinate the resistance against Acme. Workers moved several carts filled with new equipment and gear into the hollowed out mountain. This new base had everything a Superhero could want. It had private quarters for rest and training rooms for exercise. It also had state of the art medical facilities. The central planning room was already complete and the Justice League splinter group held their first meeting in this room.

"Now that we have our base, what should we call ourselves?" asked Green Arrow.

"I was thinking that our name should reflect that we hold the core values of the Justice League, but also that we aren't the same as them," suggested Zatanna.

"How about the Justice Society?" offered Supergirl. "This name shows that justice is important to us and that we're a different group from the Justice League."

"Justice Society," mumbled Green Arrow. "I kinda like the ring to it..."

Thus did the League's splinter group christen themselves the "Justice Society." The Superheroes continued their preparations for their rebellion against Acme and the Toon government. Batman oversaw a group of workers clad in fully sealed protective suits. These workers were carrying a lead case filled with radiation warning labels. "Radioactive stuff?" asked Green Arrow. "You're not thinking of building a nuke, are you?"

"No, it's just a little safety precaution should we be forced to fight our old comrades," replied Batman.

The workers took the lead case into a specially sealed laboratory in the heart of the base. Once in the lab, the door sealed shut, ensuring no radioactivity would escape the room. The workers unseal the box and pulled out a chunk of green stone much like emerald. It seemed to glow with a vibrant light which betrayed its dangerous radioactive nature. The workers began to divide the chunk of rock into smaller, more portable samples that a person could easily conceal within a pocket. Green Arrow watched in awe as the men worked on the stone.

"Kryptonite?" he asked.

"It's our insurance against Superman," said Batman. "Everyone in the Society will be taking some for their protection."

Green Arrow stroked his chin in contemplation. "Hmm, maybe I should be getting an insurance policy of my own..."

* * *

Back at the Valiance home world, Valiance had begun preparations for the inevitable arrival of the Eye of God. The Clow Magicians began work on a special magic enchantment to help defend the home world. On the ground of a cavern in hidden in the mountains of the home world, Meilin began to inscribe a magical symbol with chalk on the ground. It was the same one on the back of the Clow Cards, a symbol of concentric circles with astrological symbols. Clow Reed chanted magical words and imbued the circle with the magical power of his cards.

Sakura and the other magicians tested the circle by using to amplify a summoning of the Thunder Card. In their minds, they could see the deadly electricity arcing in outer space with the moon in the background. The bolts of lightning seemed to emerge from nothingness and jumped around chaotically, only vaguely guided by the will of their summoners. If an object had been in the location of the lightning storm, it would have been devastated by the Thunder Card. They repeated the test with the Firey Card, consuming the immediate area in a massive nimbus of flame.

"This magic circle works. Great work everybody," complemented Reed. "Take a break before we start the next round of tests." 

Sakura walked out of the magical ceremonial room. To her surprise the Magic Knights came to visit her. "Oh hi!" said Sakura.

"Hi Sakura," said Hikaru.

"So you're taking a break from testing that magic circle?" asked Umi.

"Yeah, we managed to get it to summon Clow Cards in outer space now," said Sakura.

"You did? That's good!" said Fuu.

"You know this is just like that trip your dad and Master Reed took last summer," said Hikaru, who began to make scary faces at Sakura. "There were zombies and they wanted to eat your braaaiiiins!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed and her complexion went white. "Oh don't please remind me..."

The incident that Hikaru mentioned took place last summer in Cephiro. Clow Reed and his students bust through a stone wall, allowing them to enter a gigantic underground cavern. They, their archaeological team, and the Magic Knights were the first to set foot on the land of this lost civilization in a millennium. This city was known as Ignusia, the capital of the namesake civilization. At one time, they were at war with those who followed a previous Pillar of Cephiro. In a single night, Ignusia vanished not by any act of the Pillar or his followers, but by their own corruption.

The buildings had been preserved intact, safe from the ravages of the elements in the outdoors. There was nary a person alive in the silent streets of the lost city of Ignusia. The city's unusual intactness and the silent absence of any activity filled the air with an eerie quality. "Careful everyone, I sense tainted magical energy present here," said Reed.

"Uggggh..." came a muffled groaning from somewhere in the city.

"What was that?" asked Sakura, nearly jumping out of her skin.

A clay pot shattered somewhere in the city. Hikaru readied her sword. "I don't like the sound of that..."

Suddenly, Sakura felt something grab onto her legs. "EEEEK!" she screamed as she pried herself free.

Hikaru found desiccated hands jutting from the dirt on the ground. The hands helped their owner, a human corpse, climb out of the ground. Hikaru flung a Flame Arrow at the zombie, incinerating it instantly. "There's more of them!" cried Fuu. Inch by inch, a sea of zombies lumbered in from every direction. They converged on the exit to the outside world, where the group formed a line to fend them off.

"Ha ha ha," laughed Kero, back at the Valiance mountain base. "I guess zombies still aren't your thing." Sakura, still pale from the being reminded of the experience, didn't answer.

"Even with that many zombies coming at us, we still beat them all in the end," said Umi.

"Good thing for Sakura," said Kero. "We explored the city and found out who was making all of those zombies."

The group made their way through the lost ruins of Ignusia. Unfortunately, the city was far from being deserted. Along the way, they were beset by legions of undead monstrosities, the first of which was the horde of zombies at the entrance. They were once the inhabitants of the city that defied the Pillar of Cephiro, but have long since died. They were corrupted by the same object that had granted them power, a giant ruby. The priests of the city had used the Ignusian Ruby to amplify their magical powers in a bid to usurp the Pillar. The plan backfired and caused Ignusia's fall.

The group came upon the palace of the late King Ignusia, still preserved under the ground. It was a castle consistent with those found in the Middle Ages and most high fantasy games. The castle was made entirely of stone and mortar, but was very dirty from lengthy neglect. It had been preserved fairly intact largely due to it being underground, away from the ravages of the natural elements. Suddenly, several undead soldiers took positions around the ramparts of their leader's home. They rained arrows down at the group, who took raised magical barriers.

"Firey, purge the land of these foul creatures!" called Reed.

The spirit of Firey erupted from its card and swooped onto the undead soldiers. One by one, each soldier lit up in flames which burnt them completely into ashes. The castle's draw bridge lowered and out came several armed undead soldiers. Hikaru cast the spell Ruby Lightning upon them. The bolts of crimson electricity arced from her and danced around from undead to undead. Each of them struck by this powerful spell burst into roaring flames, as they were highly vulnerable to the fire. When many of the undead were alit, the fires were as beautiful as a vibrant field of flowers.

"You zombies won't scare Meilin Rae, away!" cried Meilin, as she activated the Fight Card. She dashed at a soldier and delivered a series of punches and kicks. Being too slow to dodge any of these attacks, the soldier took each hit in full before Meilin tossed it into its comrades. The soldier bowled over a line of undead soldiers, revealing an undead magician hiding behind them. The lich released a Green Hurricane spell upon her, blowing her back.

When she hit the ground, Fuu went to check up on her. "Meilin are you okay?" she asked. "Winds of Healing!"

The wholesome green winds swirled around Meilin, healing the scrapes she had sustained from landing on the ground. "I'm fine now. Stupid magician hit me when I wasn't expecting it. I'm gonna show him!" 

"Yeah," said Fuu, back at the Valiance base. "She wasn't hurt that badly but I healed her anyways just to be safe." 

"You three were looking for the Ignusian Ruby too, weren't you?" asked Kero.

"Yep, Master Clef was concerned about its evil spreading throughout the land," said Umi. "He wanted us to check it out and take care of it before things got too bad."

The archaeological group fought their way past King Ignusia's legion of undead warriors. They soon came face to face with the king himself. Unlike the noble human ruler of old, they found a shrivelled, skeletal monstrosity in the throne room. His skin was blackened and mummified by the foul magic he invoked with the ruby. He had no eyes save for a pair of burning red lights. His robes were tattered and his golden crown had long lost its lustre. He carried with him a magical sceptre with the Ignusian Ruby set at its top.

"There's the ruby!" said Hikaru.

"Foolish archaeologists, you have trespassed into my kingdom. Now you will never see the light of day again!" hissed Ignusia. "Ruby Lightning!" The king hurled Hikaru's trademark spell at the team, who took shelter behind magical barriers.

Hikaru struck back with Ruby Lightning of her own, but Ignusia blocked that attack with Winds of Protection. "He can use Fuu's spell too?"

"I think he can use all of your spells," said Shaoran. "We know King Ignusia was a very powerful magician. He might even know spells you've never seen before."

"If magic won't cut it, maybe my sword will!" said Hikaru, who charged at Ignusia. Just as her blade came down upon him, Ignusia vanished. Hikaru ended up slicing the ground while Ignusia reappeared three metres away. "Hold still!" Hikaru charged at him once again, but he just teleported away like last time.

Ignusia chanted words to a foul spell. Hordes of undead entered the throne room to support their undead king. "Great, more of them!" said Umi.

From Reed's Firey burst the spirit of the card. It swooped at the undead horde like an angel of flame visiting retribution upon the creatures of the night. As the angel leapt from zombie to zombie, each burst in a plume of fire. The monstrosities screamed in horror as the magical flames seared the flesh off of them. Hikaru slashed at King Ignusia, who parried the blow with his sceptre. With a swift gesture, he knocked Hikaru away, only for Umi to join in afterwards. She lunged at his body and then his head, but Ignusia parried each hit with his sceptre and forced even her to back away.

Ignusia cast the Water Dragon spell, which Shaoran stopped with a quick barrier from the Shield Card. In turn, Hikaru sent Ruby Lightning at the undead king. The sheer power burned the king's body, but did less harm due to the king's magical prowess working to minimize the harm. Umi sent a Water Dragon at him while Shaoran followed slightly afters with the dog-like Thunder Card spirit. The Water Dragon lunged at the king successfully. The Thunder Card spirit jumped into the water, scattering its electricity all around the dragon, electrocuting the king in the process.

Ignusia dropped his sceptre on the ground and his ruby shattered into countless fragments and disintegrated. All of the zombie soldiers immediately crumbled into dust and vanished with their undead king. The taint of the ruby's foul magic over the lost city vanished with its destruction, restoring a cleaner, more wholesome sensation to the atmosphere. After more than a millennium of cursed servitude, the souls of the people of Ignusia were finally free to pass on to the afterlife. The threat of Ignusia's second rise was no more.

"Yep, those were good times," remarked Kero. "In case you were wondering... Master Reed learned a lot about the city and Cephiro's magic after studying Ignusia's libraries."

"Yeah," said Hikaru. "If you ever need our help, don't be afraid to ask. We're your friends. You did more than enough to help us in Ignusia." 

"Oh look at the time!" said Kero. "Our break's over. We have to get back to work."

"It was nice talking to you all, see ya!" said Sakura, waving back at the Magic Knights as she ran back to the magic symbol.

While the Clow magicians worked to perfect their magical circle. Other Valiance members stepped up preparations for the Eye's inevitable arrival. In the same mountains, workers moved boxes of ammo and other supplies up the dirt roads. Ed and Al Elric each approached a gun turret hidden within the side of the mountain. Invoking some alchemy, they turned the turret into the same colour as the surrounding environment. If it weren't for outlines and cracks which were obvious at such close range, the Elric brothers would have a very hard time seeing them. 

Behind the Elric brothers, Winry entered a tunnel entrance. The cave within was lit by fluorescent lights supplied with power by wires which ran along the corners and roof of the tunnels. The tunnel was actually part of a large network with many counterparts which ran through the mountains and under the ground past the forest to Valiance's base. Deep inside the solid earth, dozens of Bugrom drones were busy at work, fortifying the tunnel network against enemy attack. Jinnai unfolded some blueprints and examined them for every minute detail.

Jinnai began to dole out orders. "Okay, Groucho, work on the forest tunnels is a little slow. Please help them out. Marx, help out at the tunnel to the base."

Groucho the Bugrom travelled down the dark tunnel to an area where roots of trees and plants hung from the ceiling. He eventually reached a hub area which led to three other tunnels being worked on by Bugrom diggers. Groucho chose the one leading to the south and joined the Bugrom there to help them strengthen the tunnel. He began to spray a special goo which was secreted by the Bugrom naturally. In another part of the tunnel, closer to the Valiance base on the surface, Folken was overseeing the preparations for the Eye of God. Progress was swift and steady, ensuring that Valiance would be done by the end of the week.

Two weeks later, Folken made his way to what would be considered the nerve centre of Valiance. It was a room filled with sophisticated electronics. From here, Eddie and Folken had a centralized area from which to direct Valiance's defence of the home world. "So what's the status?" asked Folken. 

"Everything is clear at the moment, sir," replied the operator. His control panel suddenly beeped indicating detection of several unidentified objects. "Sir, we've detected over a hundred bogeys approaching the fifth planet. More bogeys just appeared on the radar. We have nearly a thousand bogeys entering the solar system and the number is still climbing. An extremely large energy signature has just entered the solar system. Sir, it's the Eye of God!"

"How long until they reach our front line?" asked Folken.

"Estimates indicate that at their current speed, they will reach firing range of our defences within 3 hours."

"Go to yellow alert!" ordered Folken. The entire command centre flooded with amber light which flashed on and off slowly.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#50 Chikyou, The Strong Star: Hikaru Shidou (Rayearth)  
#58 Chibi, The Least Star: Umi Ryuzaki (Rayearth)  
#74 Chii, The Peculiar Star: Fuu Hououji (Rayearth)

Spotlight: Magic Knight Rayearth

Three junior high school girls, Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuzaki, and Fuu Hououji are summoned to the world of Cephiro, which is in crisis. Cephiro is a world influenced by the will of its inhabitants and supported by the greatest will of all, that of the Pillar. However, Emeraude, the previous pillar, fell in love and could no longer keep her mind on praying for Cephiro's stability. Since the Pillar had to die before a new one could emerge, she summoned the Magic Knights to end her life. Hikaru became Emeraude's successor and abolished the Pillar system which had caused so much grief for everyone.

Origin:  
Even before coming to Cephiro, the Magic Knights had some familiarity with the arts of war. Hikaru grew up in a family that ran a Kendo dojo, where she learned how to wield a sword. Umi was part of the fencing club in her school while Fuu was a member of her school archery club. They acquired their magical powers from Master Mage Clef, who also gave them their evolving armour. After a brief journey, they met Presea the blacksmith, who gave them their first weapons and forged the Escudo weapons they currently use. As part of their quest, they earned the right to use the techno-magical machines known as the Rune Gods.

Powers:  
Cephiro is a land of magic, where the will determines what reality is. It is a world of swords and sorcery where heroes fight dragons and wizards cast powerful spells. Interestingly, it also has technology far greater than that of the world the Magic Knights originally came from. The Rune Gods were constructed from this lost technology blended with magical artifice. Cephiro's ally, Autozam, is a space-faring world where advanced technology and science is common in the people's daily lives. The world the Magic Knights came from is a technologically similar to the normal, modern day world.


	22. Wrath of God Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Wrath of God Story, part 3: Valiance Triumphant **

Once the light-hearted capital of Toons, Toontown was now in utter disorder. The stress from suffering repeated cataclysms had taken its toll. The sky of Toontown had been darkened by the cottony rain clouds hovered over head. Lightning arced from the sky and striking random parts of the world below. Through the streets, chaos was the order of the day as streets were abandoned. Fires raged from cars which had crashed into nearby buildings and even other cars. Stores fronts had been smashed up, glass scattered everywhere, and even brick walls had holes punched into them.

Police dogs and weasels rushed from place to place trying desperately to restore order to no avail. One group of officers approached a set of Toons in an insane tantrum. The Toons were throwing anything they could find at virtually anything that was in the area, from store fronts to apartments and homes. When the officers approached, the Toons turned their pies at them. The officers hid in their car until the rioters exhausted their ammunition. They played right into the hands of other Toons, who dumped a piano on them from the roof of an apartment building. It squashed the police flat along with their car.

At the heart of this chaos was a revolt against Adam Acme, President of the Tooniverse. Before revolting, the Toons were already at their breaking point from Acme's authoritarian rule. Evidence of his lies and war crimes, particularly in Ba Sing Se, took the Toons to the brink. The thing that finally pushed them over the edge was the realization of the Justice Society's revolt. The involvement of so many famous Superheroes gave their rebellion a legitimacy that was truly a boon from the gods. Since they were willing to fight back, the Toons were emboldened to do the same.

Even with the support of big name Superheroes like Batman, Supergirl, and Green Arrow, many still sided with Acme. He was still the legal government as voted in by the Toons. He was also supported by more of the well-known Superheroes of the Justice League like Superman and Green Lantern. The forces led by the Justice League, police, and even the Tooniverse Guard formed tight defensive rings around the Presidential Mansion. The battle was neck and neck between the two factions with Toontown and as the main battleground.

Green Arrow spotted a bulwark blocking a critical street leading to the Mansion. It was under heavy guard by the Tooniverse Guard. He reared back an arrow on his bow string and released it into the soldiers. The arrow spewed a puff of smoke which instantly knocked the Toons out. A squad of armed men stormed the bulwark and secured the unconscious Guard. Green Arrow advanced across rooftops and spotted another bulwark. This one had an armoured car supporting it. He reared back two arrows this time. The first released an EM pulse which disabled the armoured car while the second, a gas arrow, felled the soldiers.

His first goal done, the Green Arrow descended to street level to support other resistance fighters. He plunged an arrow it into the unprotected ribs of a SWAT officer. The arrow released several volts of electricity which caused the officer to convulse before going unconscious. Moments later, Superman descended from the sky to confront him. "Hello Superman, nice to see you..." said Green Arrow.

"I would say the same to you too, but I'm really not in the mood," replied Superman.

Green Arrow sighed. "Do we have to go through with this again? The people are angry! Our President is a criminal and has oppressed them. We are getting rid of a power hungry dictator. We are ensuring that no one will have to suffer under his yolk again!" stated Green Arrow. "Can't you see that?" 

"No, I don't see. Acme was put into power by legal vote. He is protecting us from the violence of anime Toons."

Green Arrow sighed. "He's not protecting us at all. All he is doing is using us to fulfill his selfish agenda. I didn't want it to come down to this, but it looks like I have no choice. If you won't listen to reason, then I have no choice but to call you an enemy."

He raised his bow and prepared an arrow for Superman. "It seems like the feeling is mutual," agreed Superman, who advanced on Green Arrow.

He fired the arrow at Superman, hitting him directly on the chest. The arrow discharged a burst of electricity which momentarily staggered the Man of Steel. As Superman recovered, Green Arrow prepared another arrow. Superman removed the first arrow away and rushed the Green Arrow with preternatural speed. With a single shove, he knocked the Green Arrow to the ground. Despite Green Arrow's attempts to prepare another shot, Superman snatched the quiver away and knocked Green Arrow back to the ground. He peered through the quiver, seeing a glowing green arrow inside through X-ray.

With a burst of heat vision, Superman incinerated the entire quiver, arrows and all. "I'm sorry Oliver, but this has to be done," said Superman.

"Indeed," said Green Arrow.

Suddenly, an object came flying past Superman and embedded itself into a wooden fruit stand nearby. Superman suddenly felt his strength drain away and collapsed onto the ground. Green Arrow took the object, a special knife used by ninja called a "kunai." The knife had a diamond shaped blade with a handle that ended in a ring for easy access while under duress. Unlike normal kunai, this was fashioned from the radioactive mineral known as Kryptonite, Superman's greatest weakness. Green Arrow examined the kunai and gave a thumbs-up to an unseen thrower. He put the kunai's around his finger by the ring and twirled it.

"This had to be done," said Green Arrow. "We are going to free the Tooniverse from this tyrant. The people won't have to suffer under Acme again. You can stay here and watch as we free our world." Superman could only watch helplessly as the Green Arrow propped a portable TV on the fruit stand. He plunged the kunai next to the screen and turned the TV to the news. "Enjoy the show." 

The battle was over soon after it had started. With Superman incapacitated by Green Arrow's trap, the Presidential Mansion's defenders were denied their greatest warrior. The Presidential Mansion fell quickly despite the efforts of the other Superheroes. Toons of all shapes and sizes stormed the mansion coming in through doors, windows or any other way they could. One by one, those Toons ruling in Acme's stead were dragged out like pieces of meat. They were hurled into vans which drove them to parts unknown.

On national TV, Green Arrow announced the offering of the President's position to Mickey Mouse, the candidate who scored the next highest vote total after Acme. Mickey walked up to the podium. "Thank you, thank you very much. Acme caused a lot of damage to Toontown. With the help of every Toon, we can rebuild the Tooniverse so that it is bigger and better than it was before."

* * *

The battle fleet travelled across the planets of the void of the Valiance solar system. Currently, they had reached the fourth planet and were on their way to the third. This fleet was the largest that Valiance had ever seen. Almost everyone who had any association with Acme had sent ships to fill out this fleet. There were the sleek ships of the Abh led by Chimera. The Toons had sent several UFOs to join them, courtesy of Acme's infiltration of their political apparatus. The last were ships acquired from Blue Cosmos in the Cosmic Era through Omnipotence's arms running ring.

Following this massive fleet of ships was Omnipotence's trump card, the El Hazardan superweapon known as the Eye of God. Unlike the other space vessels, the Eye stood out from the fleet due to its uniform, spherical shape. Its pupil, the weapon's gravity cannon, was looking directly at the Valiance home world, its next victim. As the fleet closed the gap to the third planet, several distant objects came into view. As the Omnipotence fleet advanced, the objects grew larger and larger until they could be identified as a Valiance fleet.

"Sir, we've made visual contact with the Omnipotence fleet," reported an officer over the radio.

"Good, wait for my signal," replied Folken over the radio. The Omnipotence fleet continued it advance until their radar blips reached a certain area near the Valiance fleet. "NOW!"

Suddenly, an explosion appeared out of nowhere, blasting a Toon UFO into pieces! Another explosion ripped through space, tearing an Abh warship into pieces. The Omnipotence fleet soon realized that they had blundered into a minefield and began to back-pedal away. Several more mines went off. When the mines were finished, they had reduced the enemy's fighting power by 80. All that remained of the victims was a field of wreckage. Charred ship chassis littered the void floating aimlessly through the void. Undeterred, Acme's fleet pressed on.

After a few minutes, the Valiance and Omnipotence fleets opened fire on each other. The darkness of space became alit with streams of blue and yellow light. Valiance ships launched mobile suits and space fighters into battle, mirroring similar moves by the Omnipotence forces. Mobile suits zipped from location to location, taking an opportunity to fire once they found a moment of calm. An M1 Astray weaved past enemy fire and blasted an enemy mobile suit with its beam rifle. A space fighter snuck up on the Astray's six and pelted it with energy, destroying it in a fiery blaze.

Several missiles swooshed out of a Nelson-class battleship's tubes. They immediately locked on and slammed into a Valiance mobile suit squad kamikaze-style. The three mobile suits ripped to pieces in a burst of flame. As the battle went on, Omnipotence, with its greater numbers, began to force their way past Valiance's first defensive line, despite it still putting up extensive resistance. "Sir, the enemy fleet has broken past our defensive line," reported an officer over the radio.

"Our line is still strong... They're just asking for us to surround them," thought Folken. "All surviving units of the first line, close ranks and trap the enemy."

As the Omnipotence fleet and the Eye of God advanced, Valiance's first line closed ranks to trap the Omnipotence fleet between it and the second line. Even though they had been surrounded, the Omnipotence fleet pressed on despite what seemed to be a tactical blunder. All the while, the Eye of God followed the advance of its fleet, shooting any ships which dared attack it. Omnipotence's warships soon came within firing range of the second line, prompting more beams of light to soar through the void. 

Suddenly, clouds began to form out of the nothingness of the space. Bolts of lightning arced from the clouds, flooding the emptiness with a dance of blue light. Electricity arced at a Nelson-class battleship, igniting circuitry both within and without. Suited crewmen rushed to extinguish insane fires resulting from the lightning. The heat was intense and the suffocating smoke was billowing out of control. Despite panicked attempts to move the ship out of the storm, a second bolt struck the ship. Its power core went into meltdown and exploded violently, tearing the ship in two. Blasts of flame erupted from the dying ship, incinerating everything within and anything nearby.

In a hidden location on the Valiance home world, the Clow magicians were gathered in circle a ritual room. On the ground was a magical seal that glowed with the golden light of magic. The Clow magicians chanted spells around this magical seal, using its great power to magnify their own. Floating above this magical seal was the Thunder card. Electricity arced throughout its body. As the magicians poured their power into it, the thunderstorm moved across the void, lashing out at any enemy ships in its wake. The lightning storm continued its rampage across the void, causing havoc among the Omnipotence fleet.

The Archangel opened its hangar door and catapulted several mobile suits and mobile armour. Among them were two of the ship's ace pilots Kira Yamato and Mu La Flaga. The two immediately stumbled into a battle between Valiance M1 Astrays and Omnipotence Strike Daggers. Being aces, they easily cut down the less experienced enemy pilots. The Freedom zipped away from an incoming energy beam and returned fire with a beam of its own. It seared through the enemy's arm, melting if off. After a fatally piercing shot to the torso, the Strike Dagger exploded.

The newly rebuilt Strike, the precursor and basis for the Strike Daggers, sidestepped an incoming energy beam. The enemy Strike Dagger launched a massive salvo of missiles, forcing Mu to dart away quickly. He raised his shield to block the beam of the enemy. The Strike lowered its guard and returned fire of its own. The hostile pilot attempted to dodge, but was not fast enough. One of Mu's beams seared through the Strike Dagger's leg, tearing it off. As the shock threw the mobile suit off balance, the Strike finished it off it with an energy beam.

"Kira, there's some Nelson-class battleships attacking at the Archangel. We have to go back and assist," said Mu.

"You first," said Kira.

The two ace mobile suit pilots returned to the Archangel, which was exchanging fire with two Nelson-class battleships. Although the Archangel was much more heavily armed and armoured than each enemy individually, the two of them together posed a credible threat. The Archangel fired its Lohengrin positron cannons in response as the two fired at it. The second Nelson banked away, but the first Nelson was struck and had its port side suffer severe melting damage. The first Nelson returned fire, forcing the Archangel to bank to its starboard side to evade. The second fired as well, tagging the Archangel in its port catapult and shaking up its crew.

Kira and Mu fired upon the closest Nelson battleship, drawing its fire away from the Archangel. Being more mobile units, the Nelson couldn't keep them in its sights. The Strike and Freedom retaliated with energy beams. The beams scorched the first Nelson, which were sitting ducks due to their large bulk. However, even though the two could hit the enemy with 100 accuracy, the enemy ships had force fields, which minimized the damage. The Nelson returned fire, but the aces slipped away. The two opened fire again, managing to break through the shield and damage the ship. The Archangel finished the job with fire from its Lohengrin.

"Great work kid!" congratulated Mu. 

Meanwhile, the Magic Knights fought Omnipotence using their Rune Gods as mobile suits. The enemy mobile suits fired energy beams, but the Rune Gods proved to be just as fast, if not faster, than an ordinary mobile suit. Rayearth, Selece, and Windam scattered to evaded incoming fire. They regrouped and flung elemental magic at the enemy. Rayearth's fiery blast caught an enemy in the leg, melting it off. Selece released a dragon of water which flew out and tracked the enemy with a mind of its own. The dragon zeroed in the enemy mobile suit and punctured it, despite the pilot's efforts to evade. 

Another group of enemies fired at Windam, who raised a barrier of tangible air which blunted the energy beams. Windam threw a retaliatory blast of air which punctured a hole into an enemy's torso. While the others scattered, their comrade exploded. The other Magic Knights hunted down the remaining ones and cut them down with their blades. Despite the loss of so many mobile suits and battleships, Omnipotence's fleet kept going. The enemy fleet smashed a hole through the second line and barrelled straight for the third and final line, which would put the Eye of God in range of the planet.

"Are they crazy?" asked Murrue. "If they bust through like that, they'll be flanked by our line!" 

"We can't let the Eye get through. We have to stop it now!" stated Tails, before issuing a command to his fighters. "All mobile suits and fighter craft, target the Eye of God." 

Kira, Mu, and the Magic Knights fought their way through hordes of enemy mobile suits and fighters to reach the Eye of God. Once in firing range, the pilots pelted the Eye with energy beams and elemental blasts. Inside the Eye, Leguma's instruments detected the attack of the pilots. She immediately hit some buttons, activating the Eye's defence systems. Several guns arose from opening hatches along the metal surface. They turned to the pilots and opened fire with beams of energy. Windam raised a barrier of air which neutralized the energy.

"That things too shielded!" remarked Fuu. "We need more firepower."

"Okay, we're coming to support you. Please clear the way for us, Fuu," replied Lacus. "Reed, do you read me? Please move the lightning storm to the Eye of God."

"Roger, we're beginning our spell now," replied Reed.

As the Eternal, Archangel, and Blue Typhoon attempted to wade through the Omnipotence fleet, several enemy pilots took notice. They assaulted Valiance's ships relentlessly to keep them away from the Eye of God. Valiance's ace pilots rushed onto the scene and engaged the enemy. Rayearth sliced an enemy in half and then arced Ruby Lightning into a Strike Dagger. Mu dodged the fire of an Abh cruiser and came in for an attack run. He blasted off one of the cruiser's cannons and severely damaged its missile launcher. The Blue Typhoon fired its weapons onto the enemy, finally destroying it.

The three carriers and their allies pelted the Eye of God with all the firepower they could muster. Despite their combine power, the shield still held. The Eye returned fire, forcing Valiance's ships into retreating. "Still no good. Even when we combine our firepower, we can't make a dent into it," said Murrue.

"Captain, can you hear me?" asked Bulma.

"Go ahead, Ms. Briefs," replied Murrue. 

"This looks like a job for us. We're going to hack into the Eye and bring it down from the inside," said Bulma.

* * *

The battle raged on with the Eye of God advancing on the Valiance home world. Although the greatest battle was playing out in space, another one was playing out on the surface of the home world. It was quiet on the surface of the Valiance home world. The radar screen showed no signs of any form of enemy incursion. Suddenly, a blip registered on the radar briefly. It was gone just as quickly as it came. The officer was suspicious and decided to send a jamming pulse to the area in question. In the stratosphere, a trio of static fields sparkled in the air, revealing a squadron of enemy fighters. 

From his position in the mountains, Ed saw the formerly cloaked ships sparking with electricity. "We've got incoming!" he cried over the radio.

The fighters were a dark green, nearly black in colour. They consisted of a long shaft for a fuselage with a raised area for the pilot. Ed turned his gun to one of the enemy ships and pelted it with cannon fire. After a pair of misses, Ed finally hit the enemy ship. The enemy stealth craft shattered into flaming pieces which scattered all over the sky. Al zoomed in on a manoeuvring craft and flooded its location with flack. Like the Ed, Al caused his target to rip into pieces and explode. Al switched to a second and then a third target, bringing each of them down like flies.

"Hey this is fun!" remarked Al. "That's three for me, brother!"

"Oh, is that a challenge?" asked Ed. "You're on!"

As the Elric brothers competed to shoot down enemy ships, Inuyasha's demon hunter team was waiting in the woods for their next orders. "So, all we're doing is sitting here and wait?" asked Inuyasha gruffly.

"That's what Eddie told us to do," replied Sango. "I've seen some explosions over the mountains we won't have to wait long."

"I know that," replied Inuyasha. "...But what the hell does he mean when says to look out for 'strange things?'"

"He told us that the enemy might use invisible ships to land people on the ground," replied Shippo.

"Wait, I see something," said Kagome.

Through her binoculars, Kagome noticed an oddity in the plains just outside of the forest. She noticed several patches of strangely depressed grass, yet could see nothing physically holding the grass down. She heard the faint sound of machinery working and noticed part of a humanoid shape entering her view. She immediately called for a jamming pulse to be sent to the field. A sphere of concentrated electricity descended onto the plains from above. A feeling of static filled the air and electricity arced about, exposing a cloaked Omnipotence drop ship.

The ship was stubby with a nearly cross-like shape. It had a hook-shaped bow with a see-through cockpit for the pilot. On the top of the ship was a rotating turret used to defend the ship and its troops during a landing. The turret fired into the forest randomly, trying to hit whoever had spotted them. More troops were scrambling out of the drop ship under the cover of turret fire. Kagome reached for a special arrow with an explosive tip and let it rip from her bow. The arrow struck the turret, violently blasting it to pieces.

The troops, a squad of faceless soldiers, dove for cover. When they believed the coast was clear, they opened fire into the forest. Like the person manning the turret, the soldiers did not know the exact location of Inuyasha's team either. However, they were able to guess the general direction by tracing Kagome's arrow back to the forest. The team hid behind a mound of dirt with Sango shielding herself with Hiraikotsu. When the attacks subsided, the group charged the soldiers. Inuyasha leapt onto the treetops and swatted a Wind Scar into the soldiers.

Upon striking the men, they shattered to pieces, exposing sparkling wires and circuitry. Inuyasha was puzzled by the strange deaths of his victims. The soldiers turned their fire onto him, snapping him back to reality. He held Tessaiga in front as shield against the hail of energy shots. Kagome peeked out and fired an arrow into the head of one of the men. Like his comrades, the arrow punctured metal rather than flesh, which sparkled with unbridled electricity. Sango threw Hiraikotsu into the squad, which cut down the last of the men before returning to her hands. 

"They're not human," remarked Sango.

"No, they're not," repeated Kagome. "They're machines that only look human."

Elsewhere, Omnipotence soldiers closed in on a pylon hidden in the mountains east of the Valiance camp. This important structure looked like a tower made of metal with a nimbus of energy emanating from its cupped top. It was part of Valiance's defence system against the Eye of God. On the event that Omnipotence broke through Valiance's lines of defence in space, the shield would act as the final line of defence. With the shield, Valiance would have more time to out a winning gambit to destroy the Eye of God. However, Omnipotence had anticipated this manoeuvre and had sent a commando force to ruin this plan.

Evangelion Unit 02 fired its assault rifle into a squad of Strike Daggers returning fire from the plains. "Man, these guys are persistent!" complained Asuka.

Unit 01 took a position beside her and directed fire at a Strike Dagger attempting to pounce at the Valiance line. "These guys won't give up!" said Shinji.

"Hold on you guys," said Misato over the radio. "We can't let them destroy the shield pylon. If it goes, our base will be vulnerable." 

Unit 00 shot down a Strike Dagger which descended upon Asuka. "Hmmf, leave it to wonder girl to get all the glory!"

The Strike Daggers continued to advance, putting great pressure on the Evangelions. Asuka fired her gun until she finally ran out of ammo. She ducked away behind a mountain and pulled out an energy gun to return fighting. The enemy continued to advance, forcing the Evangelions to fall back deeper into the mountains. The enemy entered the valleys and roads while pelting the Evangelions with bullets and energy beams. The Evangelions were forced all the way back to the shield pylon, the furthest back they can go.

Asuka spotted a Strike Dagger leaping in the air towards the pylon. She shot the enemy in the chest, burning a hole clean through it. However, the enemy fell towards the pylon instead, crashing into it and exploding. "NOOOOOO!" cried Asuka as she watched the Strike Dagger explode like a living bomb.

"Misato, they took out the shield pylon!" reported Shinji.

"Shit!" cursed Misato. "All units fall back. I repeat, fall back!"

* * *

Like in the ground battle, Omnipotence's space advance was relentless. The Omnipotence fleet bore through the second line, not bothering to wipe out the Valiance line or that the survivors could surround them. They were absolutely determined to get the Eye of God into firing range. The loss of the shield pylon meant that the shield was no longer available to protect the planet from Eye of God bombardment. Despite these pair of devastating victories, the battle was far from over. The Eye of God and its escorting fleet were right in the heart of the third line and still advancing.

An energy beam slammed into the Archangel, shaking the ship violently and rattling its crew. From the stress of such a ferocious battle, Kira and Athrun saw a brief glimpse of a jewelled seed explode into particles before their eyes. When the vision subsided, their irises were dilated and their pupils had contracted to mere points. As though in a fit of desperation, the two young mobile suit pilots had gone berserk. They came at the Omnipotence warships with a ferocity and ruthlessness never before seen by the enemy.

The Freedom sliced a Strike Dagger in half and whirled his blade back into a second in a single smooth move. It weaved past the heavy fire of an Abh battle cruiser and punctured its way through the shields. Upon landing on the ship's deck, the Freedom jabbed its beam sword into the chassis and flew parallel to its length. Effectively sawed in half, the cruiser peeled in two and exploded. The Aegis Custom cut down six Strike Daggers in a dance of death fuelled by rage. It transformed into mobile armour mode and bored through a UFO's shields with its Scylla beam cannon. Upon reaching its unprotected body, the Aegis latched to the bow with its prongs and fired a point-blank shot which melted clean through. As the Aegis fled, the UFO exploded. 

"The Eye of God has cleared the third line!" cried an officer over the radio. "It has cut its engines and is charging its gravity cannon."

Deep inside the memory of the Eye of God's computer system, Valiance cyberspace troops were fighting for control. The massive army came under massive fire from a motley crew of defensive programs and viruses holed up in several nodes. There was a battle everywhere the eye could see, as Valiance Digimon and other cyberspace entities clashed with Omnipotence counterparts. Duskmon sliced into a diminutive virus in a hard hat, slicing the creature in half. With blinding speed, he zipped over to a stationary gun and cut it down.

Megaman and Roll ran past the carnage left behind by Duskmon's wake. His Digimon forces closed a line around the two, keeping the Omnipotence viruses and units away from them. As the two Navis ran towards the tunnel leading to a neighbouring node, Duskmon fired at anyone who dared target them. Silphymon flew over them, cutting off the attack of a flying green germ blob. The two Digimon followed the Navis in just as more viruses closed in from behind. War Growlmon incinerated the army with a single Atomic Blaster. He landed on the ground and blocked the tunnel entrance with his body.

Megaman, Roll, Duskmon, and Silphymon came into a massive room seemingly made of plastic with a hard floor of clear crystal. Several pipes ran along the roof to the various facilities of the Eye of God. All of the pipes led back to the Eye's power core, which was a seemingly infinitely tall pillar of metal looming over a sea of arcing electricity. In a distant node they could see a cannon-like structure, which was likely the Eye's gravity cannon. Energy was flowing from the pipes and gathering within a silo-like capacitor just outside the boundaries of the cannon. 

"This place must be where they control the flow of energy through the Eye," observed Roll.

"From the look of it, they are charging to fire the cannon," said Silphymon. "Megaman, hack into the system and stop the Eye." 

Megaman summoned a spectral control panel from thin air and began to type. Suddenly, several viruses descended on the team. "Protect Megaman!" cried Duskmon.

One by one, the viruses fell to the blasts of Duskmon and Silphymon. As Megaman scrambled to hack into the system, Roll erected a pink barrier around him for safety. Although the Digimon were able to keep Megaman relatively safe, they were more concerned about time. The capacitor was more than 90 full and filling by the second. "Hurry Megaman!" cried Roll.

Megaman frantically typed until he finally hit pay dirt. "I'm in!" cried Megaman triumphantly. 

He immediately typed in some commands into the keyboard. The pipe travelling from the capacitor to the gravity cannon began to turn leftwards. This in effect caused the capacitor to be linked back to the power core. When the pipe finished turning, Megaman smashed the console so that no one else could ever use it again. The capacitor hit 100 and began to send energy through the pipe back to the power core. However, having so much energy redirected back to the power core had disastrous results. Rays of blue light began to seep from cracks forming on the pillar. The ground began to shake violently.

"I'm done. Let's get out of here!"

The army immediately left the cyberspace of the Eye of God, and not a moment too soon. In the meantime, the Eye's pilot, Leguma, began preparations to fire the Eye of God. "Commencing primary ignition," reported Leguma from the cockpit. "Disengaging all safeties and charging capacitors to full." The console bleeped once the capacitor reached 100. She uncovered a large red button in preparation for the next order. "Capacitors at 100, ready to fire on your order, sir."

"FIRE!" cried Leguma's commanding officer.

She pressed the red button. Suddenly, an alarm klaxon sounded from her console while her cockpit flashed red. "Danger! Danger! Power is being rerouted back to the core," announced the computer.

She punched some keys to locate the problem, which displayed a schematic of the power flow in the Eye of God. As the warning stated, power was indeed flowing back into the core from the capacitors. If such a situation continued, the core would meltdown and explode. Leguma frantically typed away at the keys to restore the normal flow of power. The console buzzed and gave her an error message saying that the power regulation software was not responding. As she tried again and again to reroute power, panic began to set in.

Her terminal displayed a timer for the power core's meltdown. As the timer approached ten seconds, sweat was forming on her brow. "Ten seconds until core meltdown," chimed the computer monotonously. "Nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one..."

"NOOOOOOO!" cried Leguma.

The Eye of God exploded in massive, brilliant burst of flame like a supernova. A devastating shockwave rippled from the explosion, crashing into Omnipotence's hapless fleet. The shockwave sent ships flying for miles around, scattering them around like a child throwing toys in a tantrum. It tipped the Archangel forward as it hurled it away, tossing the crew out of their seats. Murrue was taken by such surprise that she fell out of her seat and crashed into the roof near the frontal viewing screen. Flay crashed into the captain's seat and was slumped over it in a confused daze. Sai and Miriallia flew out of their seats and hit the back wall of the bridge.

The Eye's explosion was utterly devastating to Omnipotence's fleet. Being in such close proximity to the Eye, Omnipotence's fleet took the brunt of the damage. An Abh battleship slammed into a Toon UFO, mashing the metal chassis together gruesomely. Both ships went up in a brilliant blaze of glory. An unlucky Strike Dagger was overtaken by the wave and ripped apart at the seams. At the edge of the fleet, Strike Daggers and fighter ship were thrown through space to hurled to regions yet to be known. With mass numbers of its fleet annihilated and the Eye of God vanquished, Acme's forces suffered terminal demoralisation.

Though reeling from the explosion, Valiance did not take long to recover. One by one, they cut down enemy ships as though it was going out of style. Valiance beams seared their way through enemy ships while missiles blasted holes large enough for a truck to pass through. Like dominoes, enemy ships fell one after the other. Those enemies at the fringes of the shockwave were able to reorient their ships to make a run for it. After Valiance forces tore through the enemy, less than ten percent of the Omnipotence fleet managed to escape and survive.

When the battle was over, the victorious Valiance fleet returned to their home world to celebrate a glorious victory. Today was a day that would live on in infamy for Omnipotence terrorists. It was the day that the tide turned against the greatest terrorist group ever known in the anime worlds. Lan, Mayl, Koichi, Yolei, and Hawkmon, instrumental in this victory, stood before the amassed heroes and soldiers of Valiance. As the names of heroes were called Eddie Valiant presented them with medals to commemorate their courage in the face of great crisis.

"I present to them the Golden Fedora, the highest honour we can bestow for courage in the face of great adversity," announced Eddie, who placed medals around their necks and shook their hands after having their names called out.

Lan, Mayl, and the others stood forwards to bask in the adulation of their peers. "Great work kid! You did it!" cried Mu La Flaga.

"Yay!" cried Miriallia, who had a bandage around her head.

"Alright Mayl!" cried Miho.

"Congratulations!" cried Murrue Ramius, sporting a bandage around a cut she had suffered. 

"My son, you have made me so proud!" cried Dr. Hikari, tears in his eyes. Dr. Wily handed him a handkerchief.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#72 Chisyu, The Complete Star: Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow (Justice League)

Spotlight: Justice League Unlimited

Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern... These are some of the greatest Superheroes known to Earth. Whenever crisis falls upon the Earth, it is the Justice League's self-imposed duty to help the planet through those troubled times. Since the group's humble beginnings as an anti-invasion force, the Justice League had expanded to include nearly every known Superhero on Earth.

Origin:  
The founding members of the Justice League are Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl, Batman, and the Martian Manhunter. Before the Justice League formed, a group of aliens had started an invasion on the Earth. These seven heroes were the ones who repelled the alien invaders and ultimately became the leaders and role models of the League. Since then, the League has expanded and is now a defence force for the Tooniverse. The Green Arrow was a member of the first batch of heroes to be inducted into the Justice League.

Powers:  
The Justice League's world is one of the rare places where nearly all of the power types are represented. Superhero powers run the gamut of power types and manifestations with the notable exception of ki, which no Justice Leaguer uses. Though the Superheroes' Earth has modern levels of science, a few Superheroes gain their abilities from science more advanced than what the general population had. Most Superheroes derive their superhuman abilities from psionics, using their mind to cause supernatural effects to occur. There are very few magic users, but some are members of the Justice League.


	23. Return of Valiance Story, Part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. This chapter features Yugioh, which is made by Konami. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Return of Valiance Story, part 1: Duel Like an Aegyptian **

The mood was positive at the Valiance home world. With the destruction of the Eye of God, they had dealt a devastating blow to Omnipotence. To have made such an attack, the enemy had to have spent inordinate amounts of resources and manpower. With nearly 90 of the enemy force wiped out, all that effort was wiped out in an instant. All that remained were scraps which hurtled aimlessly through space. Valiance tugs collected this debris to salvage it for future use. As Valiance forces retreated to their home world to recuperate, their founders and leaders met to discuss their next move.

"We've dealt Omnipotence a crippling blow when we destroyed their Eye of God. We need to take advantage of it before they recover. We can't rest on our laurels," said Folken.

"Our people just went through a very long and hard battle. They need time to rest," objected Koichi.

"I agree with Koichi, our space forces took heavy losses in the last battle," said Dr. Eggman. "We should let them recover for awhile before we ask them to mobilize again."

"We need to hit'em now. We won't get another chance like this again," said Eddie.

The forces of Valiance were split on how to proceed. Several members, particularly those who were directly involved with the Eye of God battle, sided with Koichi and Dr. Eggman. Others, mostly those who fought mainly on the ground, were eager to press Valiance's advantage. "I'm still ready to fight. We didn't have to go through what our guys in space did," said Yoh.

"If I might interject," began Ross. "I have been investigating Omnipotence-related underworld activities. There are still more businesses at risk of infiltration by Omnipotence. One that came up was Kaiba Corp, which I discovered during my investigation of Penhold. I only need a small team and a ship to clean out these guys."

"Of course… Kakashi, what does our mole have to say?" asked Folken.

"They're after something called the Pillar system of Cephiro," replied Kakashi. "Our agent surmises that this is an attempt by Acme to gain more power to fight us."

"I can tell you more," announced Sakura. "Cephiro is a world where the will determines what happens. The person with the strongest will becomes the Pillar, kind of like a god, and rules over Cephiro. It is the Pillar's job to pray and keep Cephiro in balance. The last Pillar was Hikaru, who's one of the Magic Knights. She made a wish to end the Pillar system." 

"Yes, exactly as our agent described," supported Kakashi. "Being the Pillar will restrict his power to Cephiro, but he is searching for a way to overcome this limitation. That is why he took Trunks' Dragonballs, Koichi and Yolei's Destiny Stone, and the Asakura prayer beads. That is also why he kidnapped my students. He is trying to learn the nature of our powers and our worlds. Once he learns enough, he will use this knowledge to break down the barriers between worlds and force the Pillar system onto them."

"That is an extremely dangerous thing to do," warned Clow Reed. "It would require a fundamental change to the way a world's powers work. You CAN NOT do something like that without consequences. Acme will trigger so many devastating Paradox backlashes that he might collapse every world involved... and more. Cephiro, Digital Nations, Ninja Nations, Shamania, Zeta Earth, none of them will be safe if we allow Acme to do this."

"How far has Acme gotten with this crazy scheme?" asked Eddie.

"He has made minor progress but is still missing some key items," said Kakashi. "Acme has tightened up the flow of information, so our spy couldn't learn much. However, he has heard that Omnipotence is searching for Millennium Items in Aegypt."

"Very well," said Eddie. "Ross, Trunks, take your teams and take the Outlaw Star to Aegypt and protect Kaiba Corp and the Millennium Items. Koichi, your team will remain on standby in case our spy returns with new info. You all have jobs to do, so you're dismissed. The rest of you will stay and continue the meeting."

* * *

Ross and Trunk's team boarded the newly refurbished Outlaw Star, which had been supplied with one of Tails' dimensional travel modules and an engineer to maintain it. "Hey, nice to meet you Detective," greeted Gene.

"Nice to see you again, Gene," said Ross. "We've got some perps to nab over in Aegypt. We need a lift over there."

"Sure, the boss told me about the job," said Gene. "I heard that place is really into gaming. It's kinda like the anime version of Vegas, but they're obsessed with some card game. Something to do with monsters if I remember correctly."

"Well, I've always wanted a vacation, but I got a big bust to make, so it'll have to wait," said Ross. "Well, at least now, I know where to take my next vacation."

After the teams boarded the Outlaw Star, it launched into space and passed through a vortex to Aegypt. The world Aegypt was the home of the Yugioh anime, which was centred on a group of friends who played a card game called "Duel Monsters." This game was based on a similar game played in ancient Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Unlike modern days, the players back then were wizards who summoned real monsters to do battle. One Pharaoh, Atem, saw the damage that playing these games caused to the world. Atem sealed away this magic and bound his soul to his Millennium Puzzle to maintain this vigil.

The Outlaw Star landed on the ground in a suburban Domino park. Trunks, Faust, Morty, and Meilin remained on board while the rest disembarked on this grassy patch of land. Ross and his team split up from the group and took their car to Kaiba Corp to question and warn the president about Omnipotence espionage. Sonic, Shaoran, and Amelia went off in search of Yugi Muto and Ryo Bakura, two holders of Millennium Items. The Outlaw Star too the rest to Cairo, Egypt, where they were to search for the last remaining Millennium Item holders, Shadi, and the Ishtar siblings.

Domino City was a haven for tourists on vacations. It housed two of the biggest companies in gaming today, Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corp. Many national and international tournaments like the Battle City tournament were held here as well. Ross and crew pulled up to a great skyscraper near the fringes of Domino City. Labelled "Kaiba Corp" in bold blue letters, this company was the largest manufacturer of game-related equipment. While Industrial Illusions produced the Duel Monsters card game itself, Kaiba Corp produced the holographic devices which brought the game to life.

After being shown in by the receptionist, the team waited within a reception room until a brown-haired young man wearing an overcoat entered. Notably, this man wore a pendant made from a plastic likeness of a Duel Monsters card. He was Seto Kaiba, the president of Kaiba Corp and its major shareholder. He was quite possibly the youngest president they had ever met. He was still in his teens unlike most company presidents, who were in their forties or older. "Hello, you called for me?" asked Kaiba.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba. I am Detective Ross Syllabus," introduced Ross with a flash of his badge. Naomi did the same, as did the STNJ members. "We're here to speak to you on the subject of the Omnipotence terrorist group. We suspect that they may have targeted your business for infiltration. Have noticed anything unusual, such as leaks or suspicious behaviour by your staff?"

"No, I haven't seen anything of the sort," replied Kaiba. "However, I will now be keeping a much closer eye on my workers. Thank you Detective, but I can't tell you anything more."

"Very well, but if you need to speak to us again, here's the number where you can reach me." Ross handed Kaiba contact information on a card before leaving with his team.

Meanwhile, the bell rang at Domino High School, announcing the end of classes for the day. One young man Yugi Muto, walked out of the school surrounded by an entourage of friends. They made a trip over to his grandfather's hobby store, which sold card games like the popular Duel Monsters which all of them played. As Yugi entered the store, his grandfather, Solomon, looked up from pricing a stack of cards. "Hello Yugi." 

"Hi grandpa," said Yugi.

"Oh Yugi, have you seen Ryo Bakura recently?" asked Solomon.

"No," replied Yugi.

Solomon looked at his friends to elicit an answer. "Uh uh," replied Joey.

"Nope," replied Tea.

"The last time I saw Bakura was at the tournament yesterday night," replied Tristan.

"Why do you ask, grandpa?" asked Yugi.

"Bakura's parents called me late last night asking if I've seen him," replied Solomon. "He never came home last night. They called the police but they still haven't found any leads."

At that moment, Sonic, Amelia, and Shaoran entered the store. "Hello, is there anyone here by the name of Yugi Muto here?" asked Amelia. 

"Yes, I'm Yugi Muto," replied Yugi.

"Nice to meet you." Amelia and her friends flashed their Valiance ID cards and introduced themselves. "We're from Valiance." 

"Valiance?" asked Tea. "You mean those guys who are trying to catch the terrorists?"

"Yeah," replied Sonic. "We think they're looking for you, Yugi. They want your necklace."

Yugi underwent a sudden change of demeanour, becoming darker and older. "Are you saying they want to take my Millennium Puzzle?" asked Yugi.

"Yes Yugi," replied Amelia. "...Or is it the Pharaoh?" 

"Just call me Atem," replied Atem. "Why do they want my puzzle?"

"They want to study it," replied Shaoran. "They want to learn about its magic. They're going to use it to do something very dangerous."

"Have you seen a Ryo Bakura anywhere?" asked Amelia.

"We were just talking about that," said Joey. "Bakura has been missing since last night."

"That's not good," commented Shaoran.

"Why?" asked Tea.

"Once they get what they want from him, he's as good as dead," replied Shaoran. "They'll take him somewhere quiet and shoot him." 

"Oh Bakura..." said Tea, fearful for his life. 

While the others were talking, Sonic received some good news from Ross on his radio. "Listen; that was Ross on the phone. He just found a lead to Bakura at the station. I'm going ahead to check it out. You guys stay here and give them company."

Faster than the blink of an eye, Sonic rushed out of the store, blowing a big gust of wind in his wake. It blew down several stacks of cards Solomon was inventorying. They fell everywhere behind his counter. "Wow, he's a fast one," remarked Joey, fixing his shirt. 

"He could at least wait until he was outside before running away like that," said Solomon, picking up cards littered behind his counter.

Sonic blazed down the streets following the directions given to him by Ross. The detective had told him about a suspicious blue van that had been seen moving through the area of Games Street to the north of where the Muto Hobby Shop was. The witnesses also reported that three men were in this van and that it was last seen heading to the north. Sonic followed the trail of witness reports down the street until he spotted this van parked outside of a small bungalow. Its license plate was a match to the number Ross had given to him.

The bungalow was a small, red brick home that could house a small family. It was a simple home, very private, and didn't stand out from the rest of the neighbourhood. It was not a place that would arouse suspicion. It was also a very good place to hide. Sonic snuck from window to window with preternatural speed and peeked inside. Most of them were covered in blinds, but one had a large enough crack for him to see through. There were humanoid shapes shifting about inside and he could hear them browbeating another person outside of his field of view. 

"Where is it?" demanded a thuggish voice. "Where is the Millennium Ring?"

"I'm not telling you!" said the voice of a male teenager, which Sonic surmised was Bakura's. 

"Maybe this will make you change your mind," retorted the man.

"AAAAAH!" came Bakura's scream. 

Since Bakura was fully out of view, Sonic could only imagine what they were doing to force him to talk. "Ross, get over here as soon as you can. I'm at 42 Duel Boulevard. That van you told me about is here and so are the men who took Bakura. They're doing something to make him talk. I can't wait any longer. I'm going to have to bust in and save him."

"Okay, we're almost there. Do what you must," replied Ross.

Sonic immediately smashed through the window with preternatural speed. He saw Bakura wired to some kind of device that was delivering electrical pulses to his body. Sonic flicked the device's power switch and snatched Bakura from the jaws of danger in one fell swoop. "What the..." remarked a thug, once he realized Bakura was gone.

Just then, the siren from the cars of Ross, the STNJ, and Domino police echoed throughout the neighbourhood. "Shit! It's the cops!" cried another thug.

The thugs ran for their van but were a moment too slow. Naomi swerved her car right into the path of their getaway vehicle, ensuring they would not be able to use it to escape. The men drew guns and fired at them, forcing Naomi and her partner to dive down. They crawled out of their vehicle from the other door and returned fire on the men. Suddenly, one of the men emitted a bolt of lightning at the detectives! Fortunately, since their car was in front of them, it had taken the attack for them. The sheer intensity of the lightning caused the fuel tank to ignite, which sent the detectives leaping for safety. 

"Witches!" remarked Ross.

The men ran into their backyard and deeper into the neighbourhood. Ross and Naomi pursued the men into the alley between houses on foot until one of them turned around. Ross suddenly found his feet yanked out from under him, causing him to take a spill onto the ground. Before Naomi could close the gap, the man telekinetically hurled her into the air, slamming her into the branches of a tree across the street. As the two recovered, the men continued their flight from justice. At the other street, the STNJ members skid their car into the path of the men.

As they exited their vehicle, Amon and Miho fired orbo pellets. They successfully subdued one, but the other two used their powers to avoid capture. The lightning witch zapped the pellets as they approached while the telekinetic witch raised a barrier of repulsive force. The telekinetic witch lashed out at Amon with a wave of force which he stopped with his own telekinetic barrier. The telekinetic witch made a run for it. "I'll get him!" called Amon as he gave pursuit.

The lightning witch lashed out with bolts of lightning. They ended up being blunted by one of Robin's flames. She raced a flame along the ground which the witch stopped with a flicker of electricity. The two started a dangerous game of tug o'war attacking and parrying with flickers of fire and lightning. Neither could gain the advantage until Ross and Naomi entered the scene and fired orbo at the witch. The orbo collided with flickers of lightning, being incinerated by such a display of power instantly. 

"You are outnumbered. There's no way you can win. Surrender!" demanded Naomi.

Rather than comply, the witch raised the intensity of his powers. Robin mirrored his move, increasing her power as well. As they continued their tug o'war, Ross and the others pelted the lightning witch with orbo pellets. Their help proved to be the clinching factor. The witch began to weaken and couldn't muster the power needed to repel Robin's flames. Robin's fires burst through his defences and set his clothes alight. He flailed around in a panic while Ross, Miho, and Naomi continued to pelt him. Robin immediately snuffed the flames once the orbo brought him down.

When the rest of the authorities arrived on the scene, they helped Bakura recover from his experience with the thugs. They scoured the area and found Amon, who had incapacitated the final thug. The telekinetic thug was sprawled on the ground buried under a pile of garbage and cans. Ross supplied the police with orbo and signal jammers to ensure the thugs were placed behind bars properly. With these thugs off of the streets, Yugi and friends were safe from suffering a similar fate as Bakura. After some questioning by police, he returned to Solomon's hobby store to reunite with his friends. 

"Bakura, you're okay!" said Yugi.

"I'm fine everyone. The cops took away the people who grabbed me," said Bakura.

"Yes, another one for the good guys!" remarked Amelia.

"That's good news!" remarked Joey. "Now you don't have to worry any more, Yug."

"Yeah, but I want to know, what happened to your Millennium Ring? Did they get it?" asked Yugi.

"No... Mr. Muto, why don't you show them now?" requested Bakura.

Solomon nodded and went back to the stockroom to retrieve an object from a hidden safe. When he returned to the front counter, he returned it to its rightful owner. "You had the Millennium Ring the whole time?" asked Yugi.

"Yep," replied Solomon. "It happened during that tournament. Bakura suspected that he was being followed so he gave the ring to me for safe keeping. It was a smart move too. Right after he left the store, they got him. I played along the whole time so no one would suspect a thing."

"Oh, I see, so that's why you went to talk to Mr. Muto," observed Tristan. 

At the police station, Ross led the interrogation of the men who had kidnapped Bakura. In particular, Ross was interested in finding the names and locations of other Omnipotence agents in Aegypt, particularly in Domino City. His questioning brought to light certain moles within Kaiba Corp who were part of an affiliated cell. "Tell me more about this Hiro Kanzaki."

"He works over at Kaiba Corp. He's some kind of scientist. We help each other. He does his thing and we do ours," said the telekinetic witch.

"...To get the Millennium Items and Kaiba Corp technology?" asked Ross.

"Yeah," replied the man.

"We checked your home and I must say, you must be getting quite a lot of money to afford all those fancy gadgets," remarked Ross. "Where does all that cash come from?"

"I get my moolah from an account at the Interworld Bank. They told me that as long as I did as I was told, I could use the money anyway I wanted,"

Although Ross pressed for the identity of the agents' handlers, they were not able to provide any details. The agents never saw the faces of their handlers directly. They received their orders via packages hand-delivered to their home. Ross looked over the evidence list and found notes written by a computer as well as scraps of the discarded packages. The evidence corroborated with their story. Ross pressed for the numbers of the accounts as well as a description of Hiro Kanzaki. While the Domino Police froze the accounts and investigated them, Ross made the capture of Hiro Kanzaki his next move.

* * *

When the evening came, Kaiba Corp closed the doors of its offices for the night. As the last worker left, he gave a parting wave to the security guard. The guard reciprocated before returning to his station to watch the monitors. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary for several minutes. Suddenly, the guard took a hard blow to the back of the head. As the guard laid sprawled over the console, his mysterious attacker fiddled with the controls until all of the security monitors showed static. The attacker tied up and hid the unconscious guard before making his way deeper into the building. 

The spy moved into the R&D lab, where Kaiba Corp was testing and modifying an experimental new device. The device was a set of electronics for bringing the cards of Duel Monsters to life. In Aegypt, people played high level Duel Monsters tournaments using holographic technology. This made the game very real and included the possibility of a player being injured as a result. However, the monsters were still mostly inanimate. They obeyed the game's artificial turn structure and generally couldn't do anything unless the player ordered so. Kaiba always wanted new ways to play Duel Monsters and his company found a method to do just that.

With his newest technology, battles would be conducted in real time. Such a system of play resulted in fast, furious game play without an artificial turn structure. Though still able to be directed, monsters now moved by themselves and attacked at their leisure. The only way to counter them was to send other monsters against them or use Magic and Trap cards to destroy them. Players now had to be light on their feet to elude their opponent's monsters. They also had to be quick with their hands to deploy their own monsters and cards in a timely fashion. Hesitation was very costly in this new format.

The spy activated a company computer and hacked into important documentation on the new gaming technology. He attached a small handheld device to the computer and copied everything pertinent onto it. Once that was done, the spy began to type in some commands into the device itself. Kaiba's Duel Monsters arena lit up and was ready to begin a game. However, the spy began to fiddle with the programming further. All of sudden, the system began to spawn Duel Monsters on its own. Monsters like the Blue Eyes White Dragon appeared from thin air and went crashing out of Kaiba's offices. With his work done, the spy fled.

Two hours later, Kaiba's younger brother, Mokuba watched the events on the news in his mansion. "This is a breaking story. Duel Monsters have suddenly taken over the Kaiba Corp offices and have begun attacking the rest of Domino City. Residents are being advised to evacuate the area while authorities get the situation under control."

"Brother, we have to do something!" stated Mokuba.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going to take my Duel Disks and clean them out ourselves," said Kaiba.

"I don't think we can take on that many monsters by ourselves. We should ask Yugi and his friends for help," suggested Mokuba.

"This is our job. We don't need the dweeb patrol!"

"I don't care if you like it or not. I'm taking the other Duel Disks and going to Yugi."

Kaiba sighed. "Fine, do what you like. I'm going on ahead." 

Kaiba grabbed his Duel Disk and rushed out of the mansion. Mokuba took the other Duel Disks and boarded his limo, which took him to the home of Yugi and his grandfather. He knocked on the door as loudly as he could to draw their attention. "Mokuba?" asked Solomon when he answered the door.

"I need your help, Yugi! Monsters have taken over Kaiba Corp. My brother went ahead to fight them but I think he's going to get in over his head." 

"Okay, let's get the others," said Yugi.

Upon entering the limo, Yugi grabbed his cell and called his friends. One by one, the limo picked up Yugi's friends, beginning with Tea and ending with Joey. On the way to the Kaiba Corp offices, Mokuba handed them the new Duel Disks and explained their usage. When Yugi put his deck into a special slot, the Duel Disk activated, creating a holographic holder for his cards on top of his arm. This board had five slots for monsters and another five slots for Magic and Trap cards. The duellist could manipulate these holographic cards just like real ones.

"This new version of Duel Monsters is played in real time. It's much faster paced and realistic than normal Duel Monsters. The monsters move with a will of their own so you have to be fast," warned Mokuba. "You're also on the field with your monsters so they can attack you if you get too close." 

"This new game sounds very fun," complimented Yugi. "I could see it catching on very quickly."

"Yeah, old Duel Monsters is fun and all, but this new way of playing sounds very good," said Joey.

Mokuba continued with an explanation and demonstration about the rules of the game. Most of the basics were similar to Duel Monsters with a few small differences. A duellist was allowed to refill their hand whenever they wanted, limited only by their manual dexterity. However, the Duel Disk only allowed a maximum hand size of seven, so any cards beyond that had to be discarded. Cards in the graveyard weren't destroyed. Every once in awhile, they were recharged and returned to the bottom of the deck.

Monsters could be played at any time as long as there were slots open and any other necessary conditions were fulfilled by the player. The same was true for Magic and Trap cards. If any card was deemed unneeded, the duellist could send it back to the bottom of the deck and redraw a new one. Like Mokuba said, these rules resulted in a very fast-paced game. Not only did the player need to play cards and refill his or her hand as quickly as possible, they had to do so while under attack by the opponent's monsters, Magic, and Trap cards.

Mokuba handed his three Duel Disks to Yugi, Tea, and Joey, who strapped them onto their forearms. They loaded their decks into a special slot and pressed a button to initialize the device. "Good, you can start playing now," commented Mokuba.

"Young Master, we're here," announced the driver.

"Okay," replied Mokuba. "Good luck guys, I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry," replied Tea. "We won't let you down."

"Look out, cause we've got company!" said Tristan.

Several zombies in samurai armour burst out of the ground, grumbling for food. They were blocking the limo, which was near an intersection three streets from the Kaiba Corp office's front door. Yugi and friends activated their Duel Disks as they emerged from the limo. Yugi allowed Atem to take control of his body and loaded the Dark Magician, Kuribo, and Celtic Warrior into his slots. He proceeded to load Mirror Force, Trap Hole, and Swords of Revealing Light. Joey and Tea did the same, bringing the Flame Swordsman, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Dark Magician Girl, Dark Witch and other cards of their own. 

The Red Eyes spewed fireballs onto the zombie samurai, leaving nothing behind. As though reacting to the presence of Atem's gang, the building spawned more monsters in the form of Sonic Birds. The goggled, jetpack-wearing eagles swooped over the heads of the team, sending a strong gale upon them. More Armoured Zombies burst from the ground, intent on putting a complete halt to their enemy's advance. The Dark Magician blasted negative energy into the birds, successfully swallowing one into the ball of dark magic. The Dark Magician Girl did the same, wiping out several newly formed zombies. 

More Armoured Zombies burst out of the ground while new Sonic Birds spawned from thin air. "They just keep coming!" said Atem.

"We're going to get crushed at this rate," said Tristan.

At that moment, several gunshots rang through the air. They came from Miho and Naomi's guns, as they fired upon the monsters from a moving car. The witch hunters emerged from their vehicle under the covering fire of the detectives. Suddenly one of the birds burst into flame as Robin ignited it with her Craft. Amon telekinetically hurled that flaming bird into the others, setting them alit like the first. "Don't look now, but I think the cavalry's arrived!" remarked Joey.

Sonic burst onto the scene with blinding speed and ripped through the zombie horde, cutting a long swath through them. As a result of his mad dash, he had left a pile of bodies in his wake. Shaoran burst in with great speed and summoned the Firey Card to ignite several zombies. "Hey guys, are you okay?" asked Amelia as she landed beside the team. 

"Yeah, we're fine now. What brings you here?" asked Atem.

"We saw the news and how these monsters had taken over the Kaiba Corp building," replied Amelia. "Our friends back there were investigating a spy in Kaiba's staff."

"Yeah," said Ross, as he joined the group. "When this all happened, we knew that the spy was involved. We've wasted enough time here. We have to get to the Kaiba building."

The combined team advanced on the Kaiba building only to be accosted by more Armoured Zombies and Sonic Birds. As the duellists' monsters advanced to meet them, Amelia chanted a holy spell. A flicker of white light emanated from her body, crumbling several zombies into dust. "Be gone, creatures of darkness!" she commanded.

Robin immolated the birds once again. As they floundered about in terror, Shaoran summoned the Storm Card to whirl a great tornado into being. The funnel of spinning air sucked the birds into it. The flaming Sonic Birds collided with their unharmed counterparts, spreading the fire around until the tornado became a funnel of flame. All of the birds were burnt to ash and vanished. No sooner than the enemies fell that more Duel Monsters appeared to take their place. On the ground was a horde of Minotaur-like creatures called Battle Oxen. Supporting them from the air were the violet Koumori Dragons.

"Oh great," said Tristan.

A beam of azure light seared its way through the ranks of the Koumori Dragons, annihilating dozens in a single blow. Through the trail it blazed came Kaiba, mounted on the back of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. "Brother!" called Mokuba.

"You okay Mokuba?" asked Kaiba as he dismounted. "I hope the dweeb patrol didn't put you in any danger."

"Oh no," replied Mokuba.

"Mr. Kaiba," called Ross.

"You're here too?" asked Kaiba surprised.

"Yeah, I figured that this incident was the work of that spy," replied the detective as he shot a Battle Ox between the eyes. "We need to shut down whatever is causing this to happen. Where's the switch?"

"It's in R&D Lab 1 on the 33rd floor," replied Kaiba. "Mokuba and I are the only ones who have security clearance."

Atem activated his Swords of Revealing Light magic card. Every monster suddenly became surrounded by cages made from swords of golden light. They were effectively immobilized and unable to do anything but watch. "That won't hold them for long," warned Atem. 

"Ross, take your team and get Kaiba and Mokuba to the computers," said Shaoran. "I'm staying here with Amelia and Sonic to distract the monsters."

"Yugi, Tristan, you go on ahead with Kaiba's group," said Tea. "We're going to help Valiance out."

"Okay, all of you, be careful," said Atem.

As the Swords of Revealing Light wore out, Shaoran summoned the Freeze Card. Gusts of icy wind blew out of the card and froze the Battle Oxen in coffins of crystalline ice. The Red Eyes incinerated two more Koumori Dragons while the Flame Swordsman cut his way through enemy ranks on the ground. Tea activated a Trap Hole, sucking in nearly a dozen dragons. Meanwhile, the monsters of Yugi's group transported their masters and friends up to the 33rd floor of the Kaiba building. They smashed through the wall and found themselves in a hallway of metal.

Although the lab area was the 33rd floor, it was large enough to take up three floors due to its sheer size. Several floating Great Whites, shark monsters based the real-life version, floated towards the team with teeth bared. Yugi sent his Dark Magician to blast the leader with dark magic. As more followed the first, Ross shot them down. Kaiba directed his team to the testing area, a Duel Monsters arena at the centre of the floor. It was the perfect testing area as it mimicked a real-life duelling arena down to the size and the bleachers. 

Waiting in this arena were three Blue Eyes White Dragons, the same monster Kaiba favoured in his Duel Monsters deck. Kaiba pressed some buttons on his Duel Disk, slightly darkening his Blue Eyes to identify it from the others. Kaiba and Yugi sicced their monsters at the three Blue Eyes. The Dark Magician evaded the enemy's plasma-like breath and retaliated with dark magic. Kaiba's Blue Eyes advanced on the second enemy Blue Eyes. Robin inflamed the third Blue Eyes as Amon telekinetically hurled discarded tools at it. The third Blue Eyes writhed in pain as Yugi's Celtic Guardian advanced to deliver the killing blow.

However, the third Blue Eyes recovered suddenly and backhanded the Celtic Guardian near the control station. The Guardian nearly crashed into Kaiba and his group as they approached the door. Under Kaiba's orders, he manoeuvred his Blue Eyes to block the path to the station, ensuring no one will interfere with their goal. Tristan reached for the control station's door knob to find that the door was welded shut. He grabbed a nearby toolbox and smashed the control room window open. Kaiba and Mokuba climbed inside, avoiding the shards of broken glass.

After hacking through the spy's tampering and alterations to the software, Kaiba successfully shut down the program. The Blue Eyes White Dragons vanished just as the Dark Magician released a blast of dark magic. Naomi rolled out of the way just before the blast took out a small section of the bleachers. Outside, the Flame Swordsman slashed at a Battle Ox but caught air instead when it vanished. "Alright, Yug, you did it!" cheered Joey.

However, despite stopping the endless waves of spawning monsters, they weren't able to find the Omnipotence spy anywhere in the building. It was likely that the spy learned that Ross coming and fled. When Kaiba checked the integrity of his computer network, he found that the spy had been responsible for several breaches of his security. The spy had accessed and downloaded several important files related to his technology, files which were top secret. He then tampered with the system to spawn endless monsters as a diversion.

When Kaiba learned that important files were compromised, he slammed his fist on the console. "Damn!"

Ross talked to an officer from Domino Police over his cell phone. "Is that so? I see, thanks for telling me."

"What happened?" asked Robin. 

"That was Detective Smithson. You remember those guys we caught earlier today? It seems that Smithson discovered a larger network of money laundering behind them," informed Ross, whose radio now sounded. "Excuse me... Hello, Syllabus here." 

"Hey Ross, it's me Trunks. Listen, Gene just flew us back from Egypt. We have bad news. Omnipotence agents got the Millennium Tauk and Rod from Ishizu and Marik Istar. They drugged them and took the items while they were sleeping. No one was hurt, fortunately, but the spies gave us the slip."

"Dammit!" cursed Ross. "Okay, I'll let the others know." He turned to his team. "Bad news, Omnipotence got to the Millennium Tauk and Rod."

Yugi was shocked. "Are Marik and Ishizu okay?"

"So they're friends of yours too? Yeah, they're fine," said Ross.

"We have to get them back for Marik and Ishizu," said Yugi.

"No problem Yugi, we're behind you 100," said Joey.

"Yeah, we'll get them back," said Tea.

"Mr. Syllabus, if it's possible, can we join Valiance too?" asked Yugi.

"Of course," said Ross. "We can use all the help we can get." 

"Kaiba Corp will provide its assets to assist you as well," stated Kaiba. "I normally don't have much in common with the dweeb patrol, but this situation has forced me to act." 

"Count me in too. If Seto's going, I'm going too," stated Mokuba.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#25 Tentai, The Retreating Star: Yugi Muto/Atem (Yugioh)  
#30 Tenson, The Broken Star: Solomon Muto (Yugioh)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#42 Chii, The Majestic Star: Joey Wheeler (Yugioh)  
#43 Chiei, The Star of Courage: Tristan Taylor (Yugioh)  
#66 Chikou, The Cunning Star: Seto Kaiba (Yugioh)  
#78 Chibin, The Quick Star: Mokuba Kaiba (Yugioh)

Spotlight: Yugioh  
Yugioh follows the adventures of Yugi Muto and his coterie of friends as they compete in Duel Monsters tournaments. Unlike ordinary card games, Duel Monsters was once played in ancient Egypt with real magic and monsters. The Pharaoh Atem sealed away the magic of these games and then his own soul into the mystical Millennium Puzzle as part of his vigil. Years later, Yugi would inherit the Millennium Puzzle along with Atem's spirit. The creation of the Duel Monsters card game awakened the sealed magic, which Atem and Yugi must keep in check by defeating those who would abuse it in duels.

Origin:  
Atem is in fact an earlier incarnation of Yugi. Once Yugi donned the Millennium Puzzle, Atem's spirit effectively returned to his natural body. Many of Yugi's friends and acquaintances are also reincarnations of people Atem once knew. All of them are top tier duellists who win tournaments at the local card shop owned by Yugi's grandfather. They compete in larger tournaments as well, but Yugi usually does the best in those. Kaiba and Mokuba were adopted into wealth by their foster father, but Kaiba eventually took his father's company away in a hostile takeover.

Powers:  
Yugioh's greatest powers come from the tools used to bring the Duel Monsters game to life. In the past, it was magic that brought the monsters and spells to life. Nowadays, that honour belongs to the holographic technology created by Kaiba Corp. Yugioh's world is largely similar to our own in technology, but is far more advanced in holographic technology than ours.

Although Aegypt does have magic in it, it was mostly used in Duel Monsters games to compete for power. Since it was so destructive, Atem had no choice but to seal it away. Nowadays, there are very few people who can use magic. Most are owners of a Millennium Item and/or magicians from ancient times.


	24. Fall of the Abh Story, part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Fall of the Abh Story, part 1: Retaking the Feudal Era **

At the end of a strategy meeting between the founders and leaders of Valiance, several of the founding members had left to carry out missions in Aegypt. Eddie called in those recruited from the areas currently occupied by the Abh. One by one entered Inuyasha's demon hunters, the Evangelion crew, El Hazardan exiles, and the Straw Hat Pirates. They were joined by commanders from Valiance's other divisions, mostly its ground forces. With the Abh in disarray after having so many of their ships destroyed, now was the time to prepare a recapturing of those worlds they have conquered.

"Glad you all can make it," greeted Eddie. "You did good job back there. All of you should be proud, but now's not the time to rest on our laurels. We've hit the enemy very hard and now's the time to take advantage of it. We're going to take back everything they stole, one planet at a time."

"We are going to prioritize places that are especially important to the operation of Omnipotence," continued Folken. "Our strategy is a simple one. We are going to gain the support of sympathizers and resistance forces from the occupied worlds. With their help, we'll go on to drive the enemy out. Our first target is Demonic Earth. This area is a major food and supply hub for the enemy. Major Katsuragi, I am putting you in charge of our operations for this target and the others."

"Yes sir, you can count on me," said Misato as she saluted Folken.

Folken proceeded to brief Misato on the situation. Valiance's current situation was not good. It had suffered great losses amongst its space fleets from the battle with the Eye of God. Thus, Folken could only spare the Crimson Egg and its cohort. However, the Abh and Omnipotence had suffered even from their losses in the attack. Folken didn't expect heavy space-based resistance as a result. Misato's mission was largely a ground-based one anyways, which matched the composition of her forces. Her job was to unite Valiance and resistance forces against Omnipotence and Abh occupied planets.

In particular, her first mission was in Demonic Earth's Feudal Era. By now, Lord Morikage would have conquered nearly the whole of Japan. The only way to enter the Feudal Era to fight him was through a single location, the Bone Eater's Well in the Higurashi Shrine. Due to its size, only foot soldiers could enter it. It was a strategic location for Valiance during its previous foray into the Feudal Era. Misato was to secure this location as a beachhead into the Feudal Era. She was to make full use of Inuyasha and his demon hunters, who were familiar with the area.

Before the meeting was held, Folken had already prepared Misato's would-be forces for mobilization. Toji and Hikari followed the main three Eva pilots to their hangar. "You're so lucky. You guys get to go out and have all the fun," remarked Toji.

"Yeah..." replied Shinji sheepishly.

"You should be happy, Shinji, you're not stuck here on guard duty like I am," complained Toji.

"Easy for you to say," Asuka chided. "You're not going off to who knows where with a bunch of weirdoes!"

"Weirdoes?" asked Hikari.

"Yeah, there are some weird people here. I saw this creepy looking guy who looked like he had been cut open and then sewn back up. He was talking to the air and carrying a skeleton under his coat. Can you believe that?" asked Asuka.

"They're not that scary," said Hikari. "I met this girl named Sakura during lunch yesterday. She had this cute little teddy bear that was flying around and talking to her friends. I thought it was so cute!" She beamed a great big smile.

"Man, I wish I had cool powers like they do," said Toji. "I'd love to be super strong and fly through the sky like a plane."

"I'd love to use magic like Sakura," admitted Hikari.

"I know what I want. I'd love to be able to make clones of myself. That way, there's more of me to go around!" boasted Asuka.

The group reached the hangar where Toji and Hikari waved to their friends. One by one, the transport ships took off from Valiance's space station bound for Demonic Earth. A swirling vortex of energy and light opened as the Crimson Egg's dimensional travel module merged worlds together at a single location. When the fleet emerged on the other side, they detected a trio of Abh ships hovering in orbit around Demonic Earth. In but a moment, Valiance ships descended upon the enemy craft, and reduced them into nothing but scrap metal.

Drop ships scattered out of the docking bays of larger carriers and descended onto the surface of the planet. A trio of ships landed at the centre of Shinjuku Park in Tokyo. With a hiss, their side doors opened to reveal the Evangelions of Asuka, Rei, and Shinji, curled up in the foetal position. The Evas uncurled and strapped on portable power packs and weapons from within the drop ships and moved into the battle. Within minutes, they came across nearly a dozen enemy GINN mobile suits, the same ones used by ZAFT from the Cosmic Era.

The GINNs also spotted the Evas with three of them advancing on Unit 01. The Eva pulled the trigger of its rifle. A searing beam of blue plasma streamed out of the muzzle and melted a hole through the torso of a GINN. Enemy energy beams struck Unit 01 and melted a hole through its lower right ribs. Linked to the Eva, Shinji felt the melting as a burning sensation in the same location. He nearly blacked out, but was just barely able to raise an AT Field in the nick of time. The enemy's subsequent shots were stopped by the orange barrier, but Shinji was in no condition to fight back yet.

Unit 02 pulled up beside its comrade and unloaded several rounds into the three GINNs. They shuddered as the bullets punched holes into their torsos. The sheer force of the impact sent them crashing to the ground. "You fool! You want to get yourself killed?" asked Asuka.

As the enemy fell back, Unit 00 advanced while firing its plasma rifle. With each shot, Rei's weapon seared a hole through the enemy like butter. "Major, we've cleared this area," reported Rei.

"Good work, please move on to the next," commanded Misato.

Valiance's forces swept through the city picking off any Omnipotence and Abh units wandering the area. They converged on the Higurashi Shrine, where Lina Inverse's forces were the first to arrive. Under the cover Lina and Zelgadis' protective magic, Gourry led a charge into the shrine. The enemy unloaded bullets, beams, and explosives, which merely bounced off of the protective barriers of white light. The Valiance soldiers closed the gap and began to cut down the enemy one by one. Gourry slashed an enemy soldier and finished the fallen man off with a single downward stab.

Lina channelled magical energy into a Fireball spell. Upon releasing it into a window, it incinerated every enemy soldier holed up in the shrine's living room. Valiance soldiers stormed the shrine as the enemy began to fall back to the interior. As the fighting continued, bodies began to pile up as soldiers fell, mostly from the Omnipotence and Abh side. When Gourry's forces cleared the shrine, he and an underling raised the Valiance flag at the peak of the highest rooftop. When Valiance saw the flag hoisted in the sky, the surge of morale propelled their last push into the shrine.

Like in their last battle, Lina sent a Dragon Slave spell into the well. Whatever happened on the other side was a mystery, but it was likely that whatever demons lurking there faced utter annihilation. When Lina's forces emerged in the Feudal Era, they were greeted with a charred wasteland just like the first time. Any Omnipotence soldiers, Morikage Samurai, or demons would have been incinerated. Following Lina's army into the well was Inuyasha's band of demon hunters, who looked on the charred landscape with a sense of familiarity.

"Talk about deja vu," remarked Kagome.

"I wouldn't want to make that girl mad," remarked Miroku, keeping his distance from a beaming Lina.

* * *

Over several hours, Valiance forces set up a camp around the well to secure their new beachhead. More troops and equipment came through the well as part of Valiance's efforts to reinforce their base. Kakashi led his ninja students on scouting mission through Feudal Era forests. After some time, Sasuke had located the village where the demon hunters' friend, Kaede, lived. The town was crawling with Morikage's troops. Armoured Samurai milled about the dirt roads, watching for any signs of enemy intrusion onto the lord's lands. Not even Kaede's village was safe anymore. 

It wasn't a surprise to find the Feudal Era in this state. The people of the Feudal Era simply had little chance against an enemy who wielded modern weaponry and supernatural forces from far off worlds. Bound by the rules of their world, they were incapable of turning the enemy's weapons against them. Paradox was completely in the favour of the enemy forces. However, hope was not lost because a group of the Feudal Era's heroes, the demon hunters, had returned with help. Omnipotence now had to contend with Valiance, its mortal enemy. It was time for payback from their last loss.

Sasuke secretly watched as Kaede left her village. She entered a nearby forest and began to forage for medicinal herbs. When he was certain she was alone, Sasuke decided to make contact with her. "Priestess Kaede, I presume," addressed Sasuke as he emerged from behind a tree.

Kaede looked up from her herb gathering. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I was sent here by Inuyasha," introduced Sasuke. "He's safe and has returned with allies to free your village."

"That's good news, child. I'm glad to hear that," remarked Kaede.

"My other mission is to warn you that he will attack your village within the next three days. Be prepared," advised Sasuke. "Before then, he'll give you a signal to tell them to escape. Be on the lookout."

"I see," replied Kaede. "I will let the village know."

Sasuke disappeared, leaving Kaede alone in the forest. When she returned to her village, she secretly warned the villagers about the coming attack. During the night, the villagers packed their things and prepared to leave. In the meantime, a pair of servant girls tended to the men during their dinner break. Once the men consumed their meal, the delayed-action drugs kicked in, putting all of them to sleep. The two girls vanished in a puff of smoke, revealing the true forms of Naruto and Sakura. Outside, a needle struck the neck of a guard. Its drugs seeped into the guard, causing him to doze off and leave his barracks unwatched.

Sasuke snuck onto the rafters of the barracks, which was merely a converted barn. He planted a small keg loaded with gunpowder onto a wooden beam near the roof. After lighting the wick with a jutsu, Sasuke snuck out and rejoined Kakashi and the rest of his squad in the forests. Inch by inch, the burning spark travelled down the wick. The spark entered the keg and triggered a deafening explosion, alarming everyone in the village. As the barracks caught on fire, soldiers rushed to extinguish the flames. Their unexpected emergency left few men to watch the villagers. Seeing their opportunity the villagers made a break for it.

Kaede urged the villagers forward, but not all of Morikage's men went to tend to the fire. Some of these men spotted the villagers trying to flee into the woods. As the Samurai pursued them, a horde of Naruto clones descended upon them. The clones pummelled the Samurai into the ground with their bare hands. The villagers took this chance to continue deeper into the forest, encountering the demon hunters as they came from the other direction. "Inuyasha!" said Kaede.

"Lady Kaede, please lead the villagers away from here," said Sango. "We're going to handle Morikage's men."

"Very well, please be careful," warned Kaede.

Kaede watched as Inuyasha's demon hunters continued back the way she came. As she looked back amidst the chaos in the village, Inuyasha cut down a charging Samurai with a single slash. Sango whipped Hiraikotsu into a Samurai's head, knocking him out. Miroku parried another's katana and forced the blade away. With a single quick, finishing stroke, he clubbed the enemy in the face. Kagome launched arrows into the soldiers who attempted to join the battle. One these arrows plunged into a Samurai's chest, felling him instantly.

The battle ended as quickly as it began. Valiance came to occupy the town instead of Morikage's men. With the area cleared of Samurai, the villagers returned to their homes. "It is great to see all of ye alive and well," said Kaede.

"Morikage's men didn't hurt you, did they?" asked Kagome.

"No child, but I can not say the same of other villages. When ye left, Morikage continued his campaign for new territory. He dropped all pretences of being a noble lord long before you returned. He made extensive demands for food upon our village. His men have executed several people for failing to meet his demands. It has been hard for everyone. He has begun including foreigners in his army, men armed with weapons and sorcery that we have never seen before. Rumour has it that he controls nearly two thirds of Japan by now."

"Where is his main army now?" asked Miroku. "What about Naraku's troops?"

"Morikage's forces are far to the west in a campaign for new territory. Naraku's forces are staying behind to guard their territory," replied Kaede.

"Thanks Lady Kaede, this information will be of great help," said Sango. "Let's let Misato know."

The demons hunters did just what Sango suggested. Misato mulled over this information, which represented a perfect opportunity for Valiance. At the moment, Morikage's forces were dispersed. Much of them were concentrated in the west on military campaigns for new territory. Since Valiance had effectively emerged within the middle of Morikage's territory, this gave them a great chance to cut off the supply lines to his main army. Once they did this sufficiently, the next move was to advance on Naraku's territory. By finishing off the campaign with Morikage's overthrow, Omnipotence's foothold in the Feudal Era would be removed.

Day after day, Valiance forces descended upon one occupied village after the other. Samurai barracks burned in the light of the afternoon sun and billowed smoke into the sky. Wagons filled with food and supplies for the front became beset by Valiance soldiers. Shipments of food and supplies to the front slowed to a crawl until they finally stopped altogether. The armies of Valiance, encouraged by their successes, advanced northward towards Naraku and Morikage's lands. The front lines retreated up the map of Japan day by day. Eventually, Valiance had pinned the enemy in Naraku and Morikage's original territories.

Valiance agents rested in the village nearest the border of Naraku's territory. "You should have seen it!" boasted Gourry by the fireside. "There were men coming at me from every direction. I must have cut down a dozen before I lost count."

"That's nothing," remarked Zolo. "Taking out a dozen men is child's play. Anybody can do that..."

"Oh, and says who?" asked Gourry. "How many men did you take out during the last battle?"

"Says me, Roronoa Zolo," replied Zolo. "I took out more than twelve men last battle, that's for sure. I got twenty, which is eight more than twelve."

"Oh, is that a challenge?" asked Gourry. "Cuz if it is, you're on!"

"Well, we're going to battle tomorrow so let's settle our little score then, shall we? Oh and try not to trip over any bodies in my wake, okay?"

As Gourry and Zolo continued their boasting and arguing, Nanami Jinnai came in with some bowls. Her presence caught the eye of the lecherous monk, Miroku. "Well hello there, you're looking pretty nice today. How you like to go out some time? Would you mind bearing my child?"

"What?" asked Nanami. Before Miroku could say anything further, a sharp pain suddenly flared up in the back of his head. Its source was the Hiraikotsu, which Sango had dropped onto his head. It was followed by Sango's angry glare, which Miroku shrank away from apologetically.

"He never learns," commented Shippo.

He turned around the room and looked at the dining Valiance troops. Other than Gourry and Zolo arguing with each other, everything seemed normal. "Dinner's ready!" said Sanji as he handed Shippo a bowl of stew.

Shippo took a whiff of the steaming stew. "Mmm, smells good," remarked Shippo. As he took his first taste, Kagome sat down beside him with her own bowl of stew. "Oh hi Kagome, this stuff's delicious!"

"Yeah," she replied. "Excuse me, but can you tell me what this stew is called?"

"Hasenpfeffer," replied Sanji. "It's a German stew made from marinated rabbit, pepper, and vinegar. It's the perfect dish for my little bunny in the woods."

"Rabbit? No wonder it tastes so good!" remarked Shippo.

Elsewhere, Sango watched as Sanji made flirtatious advances on Kagome. "Geez, would you get a look at that guy," she remarked. "He's almost as bad as Miroku!"

"Girl, you don't know a good thing when you see one," said Nami. "I'll show you." She batted a flirtatious wink at Sanji. "Oh Sanji baby! How about some hasenpfeffer for me?"

"Coming, sweetheart!" replied Sanji amorously.

The next day, Valiance advanced on Naraku's lands. The demon feudal lord had a tiny portion of land compared to what Morikage had. Misato listened to a report by Kakashi and his ninja squad. They had scouted Naraku's lands and found that his troops and citizens were quite terrified about Valiance's expected attack on his lands. Nearly all of the people had taken refuge elsewhere, leaving behind only a skeletal army. They couldn't locate Naraku anywhere and surmised that he was helping Omnipotence in Cephiro rather than leading his troops in the Feudal Era.

Misato and General Jinnai formulated a plan of attack which involved Bugrom sappers. The sappers had already begun work on a tunnel originating from an abandoned gold mine to the south of Valiance's current location. Inside this abandoned mine, the Bugrom tirelessly sifted through dirt and stone. Carts travelled out of the mine as the tunnel formed into Naraku's lands. They soon reached the border, where they reported their progress back to Misato and General Jinnai. Within the next hour they would had lengthened the tunnel to allow troops to emerge right behind the enemy front line.

Misato ordered the attack to commence. The armies of Valiance advanced into Naraku's lands, targeting a small demon farming village. The village had been heavily barricaded by the demon soldiers of Naraku. Bulwarks were present on every side of the village. It now resembled a fort more that a typical village. Oni and bear soldiers manned the bulwarks diligently in preparation for enemy attack. In the sky, bat demons scoured the land for any sign of the enemy. They soon spotted Valiance's army advancing and warned the fort. A bear demon blew a horn, calling his comrades to battle.

Before ever reaching the fort, Valiance came face to face with Naraku's demonic army. Upon seeing each other, the two exchanged fire. Arrows and blasts of supernatural energy travelled back and forth between the sides. Several minutes into the battle, Naraku's army began to lob crude grenades made of hardened clay. Upon cracking open, these grenades unleashed a thick, violet fog. Upon inhaling this fog, several of the men were sickened, some to the point of death. The strange substance was clearly a poison of some kind, like a biological or chemical weapon.

"What the hell are they throwing at us?" asked Misato over the radio.

"Misato, they're using bombs filled with Naraku's poison miasma," replied Kagome over the radio, covering her mouth. She sent a sacred arrow through the poison clouds. The holy spiritual energies pierced through the cloud and cleared the air somewhat. "My arrows can purify that miasma, but I don't think I can get rid of all of it by myself."

"I have an idea," said Lina. "We can turn their own attack against them!"

Lina chanted the words to a powerful spell. As she cupped her hands, great amounts of powerful wind compressed into a ball in her hands. She unleashed the blast of wind forward, blowing Naraku's poison miasma away from her forces. "Great idea Lina!" remarked Zelgadis, who followed her lead with his own Diem Wind spell.

Kagome followed the lead of the two magicians, firing arrows into the poison clouds to disperse them. The magical winds of Lina and Zelgadis blew the rest away from their army and back on the enemy. The enemy choked and gagged on their own poisonous attack. "Wow, that was brilliant!" remarked Kagome.

"It's nothing for a genius sorcerer like moi!" said Lina.

Bat demons descended on the Valiance troops, clawing at them and spitting acid from their mouths. Whenever Valiance forces attempted to retaliate, they flew higher into the air to evade. Zaibach soldiers retaliated with Chlima bullets. The silvery bullets glinted through the sky as they descended upon the demons. One lodged into a bat's wings, while another speared through its head, knocking it out of the sky. Shayla flung bolts of flame into the bats, igniting the Chlima into a roaring inferno. The flames spread across the battlefield until there were bonfires everywhere on the ground.

As Valiance forces advanced on the enemy, the Chlima riflemen generating covering fire. Several demons were downed by the hail of silvery spikes. Lina hurled a fireball which burned several bear demons to ash. The flame ignited several lodged Chlima bullets, starting massive bonfires in the enemy's ranks. Naraku's demons scattered from the bursting flames as Valiance forces closed to melee range. Swords clashed together in a medley of clinking steel. Oni advanced on the soldiers and began swatting away human soldiers like flies. One of the fallen men landed by Zelgadis' feet, prompting him to look in the oni's direction.

Zelgadis prepared a Flare Arrow spell and fired it into the creature's face. The oni stumbled back, rubbing his face in pain. Zelgadis' men swarmed the monster, with archers firing arrows to keep the creature preoccupied. The swordsmen descended upon the creature in formation. It recovered and slammed its club into a wall of shields. The besieged men kept their shields up to block the crushing swings of its massive club. Zelgadis sent Dug Haut to the oni, trailing a groove of rumpled ground to it. Upon reaching the target, the Dug Haut spell shot a stony spike upwards, slicing through the creature's ribs and shoulder. Zelgadis' men mobbed the creature and finally put it onto the ground where they finished it off.

Zolo somersaulted over another oni's club and charged in. He delivered a series of cuts to the oni's leg, forcing it down to one knee. The oni reared back its club for a swipe at Zolo's head. Zolo rolled away in the nick of time, but the club shook the ground upon hitting it. The shaking caused him to lose his footing and fall on his back. Zolo rolled away from a second strike and sliced upwards in a blind arc, catching the oni in the forearm. It screamed as black blood seeped from its wound. Enraged, it lunged at him, allowing Zolo to leap onto and travel up its arm.

After a decapitating slash, the oni's head landed on the ground with a thud, its body following soon after. "Yeah, score one for me!" boasted Zolo. "Gourry, eat your heart out!"

The sound of slicing flesh came from behind Zolo. He turned around and saw an oni collapse onto the ground. Gourry emerged from behind the beast, having felled it by cutting it down from behind. "Can't let him get you now, can I? I want to win this contest fair and square."

Zolo smiled. "Yeah, but don't think this little save will mean I'm going easy on you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," replied Gourry, before the two broke and went separate ways.

The demon army knew it was losing this battle. With the enemy forced back into their fort, Valiance set up for a bombardment. A lobbed shell descended with a screech. The fort shuddered with the powerful explosion. A trail of black smoke billowed from ground zero. Yet another descended from the sky, flattening a watchtower and killing the demons within. The shells tore open the fort's ki-enchanted bulwarks, leaving it exposed to enemy attack. From out of nowhere, the Bugrom descended on it like a swarm of locusts. The demons and Bugrom clashed with steel flashing with each swing.

Valiance forces followed the Bugrom's attack, blade clashing against blade. Within minutes, Valiance forces had overrun the fort and captured it. News of the fort's fall reached the heart of Naraku's lands, causing concern among the lord's forces. With control of the fort, Valiance now had the foothold needed to move on to Naraku's castle. The weight of constant attacks and crushing losses sent morale plummeting in the enemy ranks. With the enemy gone, Valiance quickly set up a beachhead in the enemy's fort.

Misato walked among the Valiance troops to assess their condition. Morale was very high after such decisive victories with few losses. She paid a visit to the medical areas where Chopper was tending to the wounded. "Oh hi Misato!" said Chopper.

"Hello little guy, how's everyone doing?" asked Misato.

"Of course. We lost about thirty men in battle. Some had died from miasma poisoning but most of the deaths were from trauma sustained during the battle," reported Chopper. "We have about a hundred wounded men, some of which had inhaled miasma. They'll recover quickly once the poison is removed. The rest will take a bit longer. Kagome and Miroku over there have been a lot help in helping the troops get back to tip-top shape. "

"Wow, I'm surprised how fast you can work," said Misato. "Well done!"

"Really? Thank you," said Chopper, doing a small dance as appreciation.

Over the next week, Valiance shored up its beachhead in Naraku's territory. They restored the fort's defences and upgraded it with technology and supernatural wards. The fort now sported machineguns where archers and harquebus gunners were once stationed. The demonically enchanted wooden walls were replaced by ones enchanted with Red World magic. They were fortified with the Red World's Shamanistic earth magic to create stronger walls more resilient versus supernatural and mundane bombardment. At the same time, Valiance had laid siege around Naraku's castle.

Valiance forces had trapped Naraku's demonic forces within his castle and continuously bombarded it by the second. Mortars screeched from above and exploded on the empty parapets with a deafening boom. No snipers dared walk out for fear of being obliterated instantly. Lina Inverse, Zelgadis, and Saillune mages repeatedly lobbed Fireball spells into any windows they saw. The Fireballs burst into flame within, incinerating whatever may be hiding inside. Despite such intense bombardment, Naraku's castle remained largely intact due to the demonic energies reinforcing its structure.

Valiance focused its firepower on the front door, blowing it down with a devastating explosion. Valiance forces stormed the interior of the castle with Inuyasha and the demon hunters leading the charge. Hordes of demons rushed out of the demolished gate only to be greeted by the fierce winds of a Wind Scar. "Let's go!" cried Inuyasha.

With the bombardment halted, Naraku's demons were free to leave the safety of the castle walls. Hordes of demons clashed with an equally terrifying horde of screaming men and women. A boar demon crossed blades with Inuyasha. The demon lunged for his head but caught Tessaiga's blade instead. Inuyasha disarmed the demon and cut him down with a single slash across the chest. He leapt onto the parapets and cut down another boar demon from behind. A bear demon noticed and advanced on Inuyasha only to be sliced in half like the first. The bear demon lost his footing and fell off of the parapet to the bottom of the plateau.

The other demon hunters fought their way through the courtyard with the soldiers backing them. Kagome picked off several demons with Sacred Arrows as they poured out of doorways. However, they were coming out too quickly for her to stop entirely. Shippo threw Fox Fire into the enemy ranks, halting the demons with its searing blue flames. Miroku whipped opened the Wind Tunnel, sucking in several of the demons. A group of Saimyosho descended from the sky, forcing him to shut off the Wind Tunnel or risk pulling in the insects and poisoning himself.

"Get rid of those wasps!" called Miroku to anyone who would listen.

"Flying targets? Now this will be a challenge," said Gourry as he sliced two of the bugs which attempted to sting him.

Zolo made a spinning slash, creating a small whirlwind which nailed three bugs. "Wahoo, thirty kills so far. I'm on a roll!"

"Thirty, I'm almost up to forty," said Gourry.

"Bah, the battle isn't even close to being finished," said Zolo. "You just watch, I'll be up to fifty before it's done."

Scores of dead wasps piled onto the courtyard as the two swordsmen and Zaibach soldiers downed them. Several demons entered the courtyard from nearby doorways. Sango knocked several of the dead wasps into the enemy ranks. In particular, these ones had Chlima bullets lodged into them. The dead wasps bowled the demons over, slowing their advance. "Shippo!" she called.

"Got it!" Shippo replied as he tossed Fox Fire into the enemy ranks.

The ethereal flames ignited the Chlima, terrifying the demons and keeping them at bay. However, some gotten past the flaming wall before Shippo could ignite it. Gourry and Zolo confronted these enemies, cutting them down one after the other. The demons began to withdraw once enough of their numbers fell. Within an hour, the fighting began to die down and Valiance had the battle won. They had taken the castle and eliminated Naraku's base of power in the Feudal Era. Misato wandered through the captured castle, looking upon the devastation and the bodies of demons and Valiance troops which littered the hallways and courtyard.

She sought reports from various commanders and leaders. She found Chopper in a tent in the courtyard, where he had already begun efforts to clean up the castle and treat the wounded. "Hello Misato, we have a lot more dead than our last battle. I counted over seventy soldiers dead and the number's still climbing. We have over two hundred men wounded. We didn't have room in the castle's infirmary so we expanded it into the courtyard. It's going to take longer to get all of the men patched up, even with magic and advanced medicine on our side."

"Enough about the men, I want to know about you," requested Misato. "How are you holding up?"

"Me? I'm a bit stressed but I'm fine otherwise. Like you told me, I think of this as part of my training as a doctor."

"Yep, keep up the good work doctor. We're counting on you to patch up my men," said Misato.

At night, Valiance held a small celebration to commemorate this milestone in the battle against Omnipotence. Sanji cooked dozens of delicious turkeys for supper. They were served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn, just like a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Although the demon hunters enjoyed their meal, they found their meal very different, unusual compared to the Japanese food they were used to eating. "Mmm, this stuff is good. What is it?" asked Shippo.

"It's turkey," replied Kagome. "It's a bird; kinda like a big chicken. They eat it in the West to celebrate a holiday called Thanksgiving."

"It's okay; a little dry though. I prefer beef and pork," said Inuyasha.

Kilala purred in delight as she ate her turkey. "Well, Kilala seems to like it," remarked Sango.

"That's because you didn't put gravy on your turkey. That's the brown sauce in the dish. You're supposed to put it on your turkey so it's not so dry," said Kagome.

"I like this yellow stuff. Is it a vegetable?" asked Miroku.

"Yep, it's called corn," replied Kagome.

"What this sweet red stuff?" asked Sango.

"That's cranberry sauce. It's a fruit. You're supposed to eat it with your turkey to give it flavour."

"You've got some strange food in your world, Kagome," said Inuyasha as he ate his meal.

"At a different table, Gourry and Zolo were comparing the results of their contest during the battle. "Oh yeah! Who's the man?" boasted Zolo. "Fifty kills like I said! Oooh yeah!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, I'll admit you're pretty good," said Gourry.

"Hey, you're not half bad either," said Zolo. "If anything, meeting you has shown me I still have a lot to learn before I can be considered the best swordsman in all the seas." Zolo and Gourry shook hands as a consummation of their challenge.

After the meal, Sanji served up a dessert of pumpkin pie. Like with the turkey meal, the demon hunters found the food strange, but liked the taste nonetheless. Valiance took another week to beef up defences before hitting Morikage's lands. When the week was over, Valiance unleashed its wrath upon Morikage, who had helped Omnipotence just as Naraku did. Morikage's army laid in tatters as its infrastructure burned throughout the land. Hour by hour, Valiance forces felled Morikage's men and sacked Omnipotence hideouts. The frontline receded further into his lands until even his capital city was threatened.

Panic has started to set in within the court of Lord Morikage. "Dammit! We have to do something! Every hour, more and more of my men are falling to the enemy. You're the ones with the technology and the magic. Can't you do something?" asked Morikage.

Morikage's contact, an Omnipotence commander in camouflage, was irritated by Morikage's complaints. "I'd keep my tone down if I were you, Morikage. We made you and we can break you just as easily. It just so happens that we have something in store for Valiance." Several armed men entered the room. "Oh, right on time!"

"Wha... What are you doing?" asked Morikage.

"Winning the war," replied the commander, who pulled a gun on Morikage. The other men proceeded to gun down Morikage's royal guards swiftly and effortlessly. "We've had enough of your incompetence. We're taking over!"

A pair of the men took Morikage away. "Let me go! Guards! Help me!" cried Morikage.

* * *

Valiance continued its campaign to rid the Feudal Era of Omnipotence and its supporters. Its armies inched further and further up north, leaving Morikage's army in tatters. All that remained was his castle. Rather than battle mere Samurai, Valiance now had to deal with Omnipotence's cloned super soldiers as well. When the shots started flying, Omnipotence's soldiers returned in kind with blasts of various energies. Arrows and bolts of Chlima rained from the sky with gunshots and jets of flame following afterwards. Blasts of ice, lightning, and energy returned from the other direction. 

One such super soldier soared over the Valiance line and unleashed blasts of amber energy upon them. This single super soldier flattened nearly a dozen men until Zelgadis stepped in. The energy struck his magical barrier, unable to penetrate it. He flung a fireball into the sky which exploded without touching the enemy. It knocked the super soldier out of the sky and crashed him into the ground with a thud. Before the man could get up, Zelgadis' men swarmed the fallen enemy and stabbed him to death with their blades.

A blast flame impacted Zelgadis' barrier from behind, sending him to the ground. A bolt of Chlima pierced through his airborne attacker's ribs, nearly causing the super soldier to fall. An arrow plunged into the enemy's chest, knocking him out of the sky. At this point, Zelgadis got up to retaliate, but found his enemy had already been shot down. He spotted another super soldier attacking some Zaibach men and moved to intervene. He chanted words to a Digger Volt and pointed the palm of his hand to the target. A lightning bolt arced from it and into the super soldier's body, searing his skin and hurling him into the ground fatally.

Despite some initial setbacks from powerful enemies with Superhero powers, Valiance pulled through and was able drive the enemy line back. One by one, Valiance shot every enemy super soldier down until none were left. The enemy was forced to fall back into their castle, which Valiance surrounded and started bombarding. Mortar shells screamed down on the castle, shaking the building down to its very foundation. The Zaibach began loading Chlima into special shells, which they then proceeded to launch at the castle. On bursting, the shells splattered Chlima all over Morikage's castle.

Lina tossed a fireball into castle, igniting the mercurial metal to a roaring conflagration. The fumes and the smoke were overbearing and flooded the entirety of the palace. The enemy coughed and gagged from within the thick smoke. As the Omnipotence soldiers fled, a great monster burst out of the castle walls! It was a gigantic creature made from petrified wood. It looked much like a tree with a gnarled face and no leaves. The monster roared as it advanced across the battlefield. Like flies, it swatted away several Saillune soldiers who gathered at its base to attack it.

The creature lunged at Inuyasha, who narrowly leapt away from the beast with deft speed. Kagome took a good look at the creature's face. "Hey, isn't that Morikage's face on the demon?" she asked.

The tree demon lunged at Sango, who dove out of the way. "You're right! Is this what they did to him when they knew they were going to lose?"

"DIE!" cried Morikage, as he lunged at Kagome. Through quick thinking, Inuyasha pulled her out of the way at the last second.

"What kind of enemy would do this to one of their own?" asked Miroku rhetorically.

"Who cares about what they did to him? All I care about is blowing him away!" said Inuyasha, who slammed a Wind Scar into Morikage.

The fierce winds staggered the beast but did little to actually harm it. Kagome released a Sacred Arrow into the beast, which bounced off of its hide. "Its body is like rock. My Sacred Arrow and Inuyasha's Wind Scar can't penetrate his skin."

Miroku reached for the cloth which sealed his Wind Tunnel. He spotted Morikage taking in a deep breath and spewing out a nimbus of poison gas. As the poison travelled forward, it felled several Saillune soldiers near instantly. Miroku moved his hand away and raised a barrier. "I can't use the Wind Tunnel. It will suck in the poison."

"If I can get him to breathe poison on me, I can turn that demonic energy against him with a Backlash Wave," offered Inuyasha.

"Leave that to me," said Sango. "Get ready!"

Sango hopped onto Kilala and flew up close to Morikage. She threw Hiraikotsu into his face although it seemed to have bounced off harmlessly, it infuriated him nonetheless. Morikage lunged at her, but caught air when Kilala moved out of range. As expected Morikage attempted to spray poison onto her. Sango swooped low and wheeled in front of Inuyasha, who was waiting for this precise moment. He slammed the Tessaiga into the ground, forming fierce whirlwinds. They swallowed up the poison gas along with the demonic energy contained within it.

Inuyasha steered the tornadoes directly into Morikage. The violent, envenomed winds slashed him to pieces within seconds. "NOOOOOO!" he cried.

When the winds died down, Morikage's charred, wooden remains crumbled into dust. "Yeah!" cheered Shippo.

* * *

Jinto and Lafiel left the offices of Eddie Valiant and Folken Fanel with the two men in tow. They walked down to Valiance's munitions dump, where they kept the ammunition under lock and key. This warehouse was where Valiance kept its weapons when not in use. Several men were zipped from place to place packing guns, ammunition, and missiles into crates. Once finished loading a truck, the vehicle pulled out of the warehouse and travelled to the space port, where they would be loaded onto transport ships. All this was in preparation for Jinto and Lafiel's next mission for the Abh Imperial forces. 

"Lafiel, we're shipping nearly 300 ship-mounted warheads and 20000 units of various small arms for your forces. I trust this should be enough," said Folken.

"That should be good enough," said Lafiel. "With this much firepower, we can mobilize our ships against Volbeirunei in about a week."

"Volbeirenei is a very important naval base for the Abh Empire. We need all of the firepower we can get to retake it. Once we take this place, we'll have dealt the insurgents a crippling blow," informed Jinto. "From here, it's onto the capital."

"I want to say again, thank you Eddie. We really appreciate your help; you too, Folken. We would not have gotten this far without it," said Lafiel.

"You're welcome. When we're dealing with Omnipotence, we're all on the same side," said Eddie.

Jinto and Lafiel waved to Eddie and Folken, who mirrored the gesture in turn. The two friends headed towards an awaiting shuttle craft. With a burst of gushing flame, the shuttle lifted off ascended into space. They pulled into the Basroil where its crew saluted the two arrivals. Soon after, they launched the ship from the dock and rendezvoused with an escorting Abh cruiser. The ships opened a shimmering doorway back to their world, going into one of the critical battles in the Abh civil war.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None

Spotlight: Slayers

Slayers is a swords and sorcery anime which follows the adventures of Lina Inverse and her companions. Lina Inverse is a young, but mighty sorceress. She specializes in fire magic with a personality to match. She travels the land looking for adventure, gold, and food. As a result of her profession, she often ends up having to save her world from various evil forces.

Origin:  
Lina and her companions grew strong from the various adventures they had in the Red World. All but Gourry are powerful sorcerers or priestesses. Like all sorcerers, the magic users of Lina's group learned the art from another sorcerer in the magic guilds of the Red World. Amelia and Naga are princesses of Saillune, the Red World's White Magic capital. As a result, they were heavily trained in the priestly healing and protective arts. Filia had a similar upbringing in the temple of the Fire Dragon King and became one of his priestesses.

Powers:  
The Red World has developed the magical arts to a high level. Magic is divided into different branches in the Red World. White Magic is healing and defensive spells, a substitute for Divine Magic, which draws upon the user's power. Shamanism spells deal with the elements and the astral plane. Black Magic, a fearsome school, calls upon the power of demons to cause massive destruction. Divine Magic, the last type, is a mix of offensive and defensive magic derived from the dragon gods of the Red World. It is very rare and usually only used by dragon priests and priestesses.

The Red World also has a small degree of science, mostly equivalent to that of the Iron Age. Its greatest advancements are in the form of gunpowder, which only a few individuals know how to create and use. From gunpowder came the derived technologies of the musket and crude explosives.


	25. Return of Valiance Story, Part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. This chapter features Oh my Goddess by Kosuke Fujishima.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: For providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Return of Valiance Story, part 2: Ymir, Controller of the Worlds **

When Ross and his team returned to the Valiance home world, Eddie greeted them in his office. "Hello Ross, so what do you have to report?"

"Quite a lot," said Ross. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stop Omnipotence. They set loose monsters to cover their tracks while they got away with two Millennium Items and Kaiba Corp secrets."

"Damn," said Eddie. "Anything else?"

"Yes, I believe I've found something that can help us even more than protecting the Millennium Items. The Domino Police has uncovered part of a money laundering scheme which finances Omnipotence. Their goons were being paid from accounts at Interworld Bank. We're going to follow the trail and see where it leads us. I have a gut feeling that we're going to make a big bust if we do. We can hit Omnipotence right where it hurts, in the pocketbook."

"I see, good work!" remarked Eddie.

"Oh, don't thank me... Thank my contact in the Domino Police, Smithson. He did most of the work," Ross corrected humbly. "We've also acquired new recruits from Aegypt. Kaiba and his friends decided to support us after what happened back in Aegypt."

Ross called Kaiba and the others from Aegypt into Eddie's office. One by one, Kaiba and the others entered the room and shook Eddie's hand. Eddie called Trunks in to show them around the base and help them get familiar with the area. At the port, Koichi's team boarded the Outlaw Star bound for the world of Asgard. "So, where are going to now, Koichi?" asked Sakura.

"We're going to a place called Asgard," replied Koichi as he sat on a seat.

Sakura took the seat next to him. "Cool, what's that place?" she asked.

"It's a world of gods and goddesses. They're not magical like we are. Their world is basically a creation of a pair of supercomputers. The gods and goddesses get their powers from these computers."

"Why do I get the feeling that that place is like a video game?" asked Kero.

"Yeah, after hearing this, you'd think that, but I heard that world is as real as the one we live in," replied Koichi.

"What could Omnipotence want there?" asked Madison.

"They want parts to make their own supercomputer. They're going to call it 'Ymir,'" replied Yolei.

"Yeah, don't you remember the briefing?" asked Filia. "They want to build their own computer thingy to do the same thing."

The two divine computers Koichi referred to were known as Yggdrasil and Nidhogg. Yggdrasil was the computer of the gods while Nidhogg was the counterpart for the demons. These two maintained the world and were the source of their powers. Together, these two computers ensured the continued existence of the world, but bent it towards the agenda of their masters. Omnipotence had sent agents to acquire the parts and schematics to build a similar computer of their own, which would be called "Ymir" as Yolei mentioned.

Despite having powers similar to magic, the gods' and demons' powers were nothing more than extraordinarily advanced science. With such a level of science, the gods and demons had made themselves virtually impervious to most mundane forms of attack. However, attacks based on outside powers were a problem for them. This was because they were outside of the rules of the system. In particular, foreign supernatural powers like ki and magic were extremely dangerous to them and disruptive to their world. Thus, they were very suspicious of outsiders.

"So while we're investigating there, we should be careful about how we use our powers," warned Koichi. "It's just common courtesy. The gods and demons will have to fix any damage we do, so let's keep things clean okay?"

"Yeah, okay," replied Sakura.

The Outlaw Star took off from its hangar and summoned a gateway to Asgard. It flew into the shimmering disk of white light and appeared in the space above one of many versions of Earth. The Outlaw Star landed in a secluded area in a park within Tokyo, a city particularly abundant in divine and demonic activity. The group emerged within the city to find several small bunny rabbits swarming the place. These cute, but bizarre creatures had eight legs rather than the typical four of regular rabbits.

They were causing chaos everywhere they were present in the city. Their mere presence caused bizarre incongruities within the city. Sakura pointed to an upside-down Egyptian pyramid which was occupying a space large enough for a shopping mall. Madison pointed out a gingerbread house the size of a real one. Jellybeans and other forms of candy constantly rained on that building. A rabbit landed on a bus and turned it into a street post made out of cardboard and paper mache.

"Those rabbits are turning the city into a mess. Shouldn't we stop them?" asked Madison.

"I don't know," said Koichi. "I guess."

"Hey! How can you think about picking on such cute little bunnies?" asked Yolei.

"At this rate they're going, there won't BE a city left to save," said Ryo. "Hey look, someone's going around killing the bunnies!"

Ryo pointed to a group of people in white uniforms and green tinted goggles. They were next to a convenience store, bludgeoning rabbits with mallets. One of their prey touched the convenience store, turning it into a smaller copy of the Eiffel Tower. With a single stroke, an exterminator eliminated the pest. He noticed Koichi's team and reported their presence to the others. The silver-haired, female leader pointed at the group in a way that did not seem too friendly. She promptly materialized a halberd and fired a beam of energy from it. The team scattered for safety.

"Oh great," remarked Koichi, as he transformed into Duskmon. "I hoped that it wouldn't have to come to this!"

Duskmon sent a ray of negative energy the soldiers' female leader. She rolled out of the way and charged at Duskmon. The two crossed blades with metal screeching on metal. Duskmon forced the halberd's blade away and countered with a sideways slash. His blade's tip ripped her uniform, but she had backed away far enough that it only nicked her skin. He sidestepped her retaliatory chop and pushed her into air. As she landed, he fired a beam which she blocked with her halberd's shaft. Duskmon fired more beams but she twirled her halberd to widen her defence.

"Outsiders, you will pay for what you have done!" said the leader.

"We didn't do anything!" said Duskmon.

Madison raised the Shield Card to block a god soldier's attack. The enemy's flames harmlessly washed over the bubble of ghostly azure light. Madison summoned the Voice Card, whose spirit endowed her with its power. She let out a shrill cry powerful enough to shudder the earth. The soldier raised his halberd in defence but the sonic wave was too much for him and bowled him over. The soldier was left sprawled on the ground unconscious.

Ryo made a powerful blow towards his opponent's chest, cutting him down to the ground. Nearby, Sakura summoned the Windy Card. The airy spirit scooped up several soldiers into a giant tornado and dumped them into a pile. "Rind, we have to escape!" cried a soldier. "They're too strong!"

Rind lunged at Duskmon, who sidestepped. The eyes on his demon-like hands glowed red before gushing out a foul black sludge from their mouths. Rind was caught in this torrent of dark miasma. Despite her attempts to clean it off, it stuck to her body and impeding her movements greatly. She was barely able to block a second negative energy ray. Suddenly, all of Duskmon's eyes lit up with crimson light. An aura of dark energy surrounded her body, wracking Rind with agonizing pain.

"Valkyries and Aesirs, retreat!" cried Rind.

All of Rind's Valkyrie and Aesir force vanished in flickers of light. When he returned to his human form, Koichi sighed. "They really are hostile," remarked Filia. "We have to be more careful around here."

Koichi's team continued through the city, exterminating the occasional rabbit that moved too close. From the behaviour of the people on the street, they didn't seem aware of the existence of these rabbits. However, they could still see the bizarre effects these rabbits were causing to their world. They spotted a particularly large rabbit concentration surrounding the grounds of a Buddhist temple. They were attempting to climb over the walls and reach something at the top of the stairs.

"There's might be some people trapped up there," remarked Yoh. "We should check the place out."

The group drew their weapons and advanced on the rabbits. Sakura and Madison jointly conjured the Windy Card. The airy spirit swirled into a massive whirlwind which scooped up and spun several rabbits in a dizzying circle. Yoh slashed at the horde of rabbits, attempting to force more into the tornado. His sword tore through the rabbits which vanished upon being slain. His onslaught proved too much that the rabbits had no choice but to back into the suction of the tornado. Filia batted rabbits with her mace toward the tornado, which hungrily swallowed them whole.

From above the stairs, a young man noticed the group fighting the rabbits. "Skuld, someone's exterminating the bugs below!" cried the man, Keichi.

"This is our chance!" said a little girl near a strange mechanical contraption pieced together from common household parts.

Upon hitting the button, the machine shuddered and began to draw in all of the rabbits. The hungry machine swallowed each and every bug like a vacuum cleaner. Down below, the team paused once they noticed the rabbits being pulled up to temple grounds. Even rabbits from other parts of the city were being dragged to the top of the temple hill. Sakura and Madison dismissed the tornado and watched the event unfold. The team followed the trail of rabbits to the temple courtyard.

When every bug in the city had been swallowed up, Skuld deactivated the contraption. "Well, that's that!" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, we have guests," remarked a beautiful brunette. "I'm Belldandy. Nice to meet you all!"

"Yeah, I'm Koichi Kimura and these are my partners and friends," introduced Koichi, who did the same for each of his team mates. "We're here to stop some bad people from causing harm to the people. It looks like we're too late now. From the marks on your face, you must be goddesses? I guess you already know about them if you had trouble with these rabbits."

"Excuse me for a moment," said Skuld, who huddled with Keichi, Belldandy, and a third woman.

This third woman had bronzed skin and silvery hair. She was very comely and unashamed of showing off her body in a flattering low cut dress. "It looks like these guys are after the hackers who broke into Yggdrasil," mentioned the woman.

"Even though they're outsiders, they don't seem like bad people at all," remarked Belldandy.

"Are you kidding sis? That Koichi kid really creeps me out!" said Skuld.

"Yeah, me too," said the woman. "Something about him just doesn't feel right."

"That doesn't mean he's a bad person, Urd," objected Belldandy.

"We can't let them stay here. You know the rules, sis. Outsiders aren't allowed. They'll only cause trouble," said Skuld.

"I don't about your rules, but we couldn't have gotten rid of the bugs without their help," said Keichi. "If they hadn't come along and distracted the bugs, we might not have been able to use the bug sucker. If they're offering to help, we shouldn't refuse."

"Well, since you put that way... I guess it'll be okay," admitted Urd, finally caving in to Belldandy and Keichi. "...But I'm telling you now that if they get out of line, I'm blasting them to kingdom come!"

"What about you, little sister?" asked Belldandy.

"Okay, but someone should always keep an eye on them," said Skuld. "I don't want them to get us in trouble."

Keichi broke from the huddle to address the team. "Okay, we decided to team up. Agreed?"

"Good," said Koichi.

"What more can you tell us about these people?" asked Belldandy.

"They are called 'Omnipotence.' They are a terrorist group that has been causing problems for many other worlds like yours. We believe they want to steal parts and schematics of the supercomputers called 'Yggdrasil' and 'Nidhogg.' They want to reverse engineer them to create a computer like yours."

"Why would they want to do that? Are they going to compete with us and the demons?" asked Urd.

"Somehow, I don't think so," said Skuld. "What are they going to do with their new computer?" Yolei told them about the Pillar System of Cephiro and Acme's intent to force the Cephiro's Pillar system onto all other worlds. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Nope," replied Yoh. "That's really what he wants to do."

"Why's that so bad?" asked Keichi.

"If Acme does that, he'll be bringing outside supernatural energies into our world," said Belldandy. "It will cause a lot of damage."

"Why would he want to do something like that?"

"We don't know," admitted Ryo. "All we know is that what he's doing is bad for everybody. That's why we're trying to stop him."

"Well, if that's what he wants to do, he probably wants his new computer to be the control system," implied Urd.

"Makes sense," replied Koichi.

"Well, now that I've heard this, it's time I pay a little visit to an old friend of mine. It might be a while so don't wait up!"

* * *

While Urd went away to visit her friend, Belldandy served the Valiance team some snacks. She brought a plate full of sweet treats and drinks. While the children got milk, Filia enjoyed tea instead. During the snack, the team began to talk about themselves with Belldandy. "I'm Koichi Kimura, I'm kind of the leader of this group," said Koichi. 

"I'm Sakura Avalon and this is Madison. The little guy by my hand is Kero."

"Mmm┘ Cake!" chirped Kero, too obsessed with his strawberry shortcake.

Madison chuckled. "Kero really loves his cake."

"Well, now I know what to serve to him the next time he comes to visit!" said Belldandy with a smile.

"So tell me, how did you guys get involved with Valiance?" asked Keichi.

"Sakura, Yoh, Yolei, and I are founding members," said Koichi.

"Are you saying that you created Valiance?" asked Skuld.

"Yep, that's right," said Yolei.

"We're the big fish. Don't get her mad or she'll punish you," said Hawkmon.

"Hi guys, I'm back!" said Urd as she entered the dining room.

"Where were you?" asked Skuld.

"I was having a little chat with Mara," replied Urd.

"Mara? Why her?" asked Keichi.

"She has the dirt from the demon's side," replied Urd. "There was a security breach in Nidhogg's systems recently. Someone accessed several files and tampered with the system. That's why those bugs were attacking the city awhile back. They haven't caught the hackers yet. They also couldn't account for several missing Nidhogg parts. They think that they were stolen and have increased security."

"They could be going after Yggdrasil next..." said Skuld.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. I had the ladies upstairs to beef up security. I don't know what's going to happen next," said Urd.

"Well, that would explain all of the bugs," said Skuld.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Belldandy got up to answer the door. The team continued their meal until Belldandy led the guest into her dining room. "Ah! You guys!" cried the guest, Rind.

Koichi nearly squirted his milk out of his nose upon seeing Ring. "You! What are you doing here?"

"How nice, you two have already met," remarked Belldandy innocently.

"Well duh!" said Yolei. "She attacked us before we got here."

"You don't belong here. Get out now, outsiders, or I'll throw you out myself!" retorted Rind.

"Calm down everybody, let's not fight. We're all on the same side," said Keichi, trying to diffuse the situation before it worsened.

"Please, let it go," said Skuld, supporting Keichi. "We should be searching for who did this, not fighting each other."

Yolei sighed. "Okay, clean slate?"

"Yeah, clean slate," agreed Rind. "I'm Rind, one of the Valkyries, the elite, all-female fighting force of Heaven."

Koichi's Valiance team introduced themselves to Rind and told her about Omnipotence and the Nidhogg security breach. "Rind, did you find anything that could tell us where the enemy might be hiding?" asked Koichi.

"I've received reports about a certain area in town that has been shielded against detection. I suspect that this might be where the enemy is hiding. My troops are going to investigate the area and..." Before Rind could finish, her radio buzzed. "Excuse me... Rind here." She listened as mysterious caller reported an incident impassionedly. "Okay, I'll tell them. Everyone, I just got off the radio with Thor. There's a big problem going on upstairs."

"What is it?" asked Koichi.

"There are several elementals rampaging through Heaven. Word is that Yggdrasil had been hacked. They are having trouble tracing the hacker due to interference in the lines. If my hunch is right, I think we'll find our hacker somewhere in the shielded area of town."

"Let's go," said Yolei.

The Valiance team and the goddesses made haste to the shielded area. It was north of the temple in a commercial district of the city. There were several small businesses from convenience stores to restaurants along the street. Several terrified civilians fled down the street being pursued by creatures made from the four classical elements. The elementals wrecked everything that crossed their paths without regard for what it was they were attacking. An earth elemental noticed Urd and advanced.

Urd lashed out with lightning, stopping the creature dead in its tracks. The megavolts of power electrocuted the monster until it collapsed into a pile of smouldering soil. Belldandy summoned a gust of hurricane-force wind upon a water elemental. The living mass of water crumpled and was carried away to the ends of the Earth. Not content to stay in the sidelines, Rind charged into the battle. She plunged her halberd into head of a fire elemental. The creature screeched in agony as its fires abated instantly.

The team encountered Rind's Valkyries and Aesir, already engaged in battle. "Rind!" cried one of the Valkyries after cutting down a fire elemental. "We'll take care of things here. Go get the hacker!"

"Okay, don't get yourself killed," warned Rind.

"Skuld, did you find anything?" asked Belldandy.

Skuld checked the readings on a handheld instrument. "The interference is strongest straight ahead."

The combined group followed Skuld's directions to a hotel just down the street. Several elementals emerged from hiding to confront the team. "Skuld, take Keichi and your sister and go on ahead. We'll deal with these guys," said Rind.

Skuld led her partners the rest of the way to the hotel. Rind's halberd descended onto an earth elemental, slicing it in half. Its body crumble into dirt and blew away in the wind. Aquilamon raked his claws through an air elemental and followed with a thrust of his horns. The air elemental vanished in a faint cool breeze. With Amidamaru enhancing his sword, Yoh sent it through a water and an earth elemental. The two elementals instantly splattered into the ground as their constituent elements.

Skuld and her team burst into the hotel and took the elevator up to the 20th floor. She led the team into a two person bedroom. The team couldn't see the jammer and so searched to find it. Keichi noticed something jutting from underneath one of the beds. It turned out to be a metal suitcase, which he handed to Skuld. She put the case on a table and double checked for any unpleasant surprises before opening it. The case's interior consisted of a series of circuitry and wires. After a thorough examination, Skuld didn't find anything unusual and cut power to the jammer.

Meanwhile down below, the heroes continued their battle against the remaining elementals. Summoning the Windy Card, Sakura brought forth an airy spirit to do her bidding. It wrapped around a gigantic water elemental with bands of air and scooped it into the sky. The Windy spirit tightened the bands of air until it crushed its victim. The water elemental's remains, small droplets of water, rained down on the group.

Rind received a call from an Yggdrasil operator in Heaven. "Oh good! That just made my day." Rind terminated the radio channel. "Listen everybody, they've just traced the hacker to an Internet cafe three blocks east of here. Let's go get him!"

The group converged on the Internet cafe, but found it empty. Duskmon looked over the computers and found one which seemed to be operating on its own. "He's operating this computer remotely," remarked Duskmon.

Rind reported this back to the Yggdrasil operator. The Yggdrasil operator attempted to trace the remote controller of the Internet cafe's computer. Before she could find the hacker's location, he had terminated his connection. Rind was frustrated. "The guy terminated his connection. Now we'll never be able to find him."

"Oh great, we did all that for nothing," lamented Yolei.

"I don't think that's the end of our problems. I think this move looked like a diversion," said Koichi, after having returned to human form.

After mopping up any stragglers, the group returned to the Buddhist temple were Keichi and the Norns lived. Several of Rind's troops had been wounded in the fighting. Yolei and Filia tended to their wounds with rejuvenating magic. Yolei sealed up a Valkyrie's cut and covered the scab with a bandage. In the kitchen, Belldandy worked on a small meal to replenish the troops' energy. She spread mayonnaise on several slices of bread and placed cold cuts and vegetables on top. She covered the last of the sandwiches with the second slice of bread and served them to her guests.

"So what happened?" asked Rind over the radio.

She listened to her contact's report about the breach of Yggdrasil's security. "We checked the parts as you said and we found some parts missing," reported the operator. "We lost about three motherboards, five RAM chips, four hard drives, and four CPUs. We've also found traces of a hacking on our archives," reported the operator. "We're questioning everyone we can, but it's likely that whoever was responsible is long gone by now."

Rind sighed. "Okay, I'll tell the others. Bad news guys, the crooks had hacked into the archives. They also stole several computer parts during the elemental attack. They don't think they'll be able to get the guys who did it."

"Oh great, so this was a bust," remarked Yolei.

In the den, Yoh watched TV with Urd. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground in the middle of the front yard. Since it was a clear day, the lightning bolt seemed to have come from nowhere. When they went out to check on the front yard, they found a single stone tablet sitting in the middle of a patch of scorched earth. Next to it was a plain old box of cardboard common in any warehouse. It was a message from the Almighty, the chief god of Heaven and the rest of the world.

Urd picked up the stone tablet and cleaned up the soot. There were several words written on it in a language Yoh couldn't fathom. "What is that?" asked Yoh.

Urd read the writing on the tablet. It was the Almighty's new orders for the Norns. "Our new orders. I'll read them out for you," assured Urd. "If recent events in Asgard have proved anything, it's that we've isolated ourselves for far too long. As a result, we were unprepared for the enemy. We let ourselves be blinded to events happening in far off worlds. It is time for us to be open-minded and accepting of those from other worlds. That is why I want you, the Norns, to be our ambassadors to the other worlds. Go with those who helped us, open relations with them, and bring those who attacked our world to justice. Take the contents of the package to help you on your mission."

"Well, I guess this means you're joining us. Welcome to the team," said Yoh.

"Nice to have you on board," said Amidamaru.

Urd brought the tablet and cardboard box back in and showed it to the others. Like Yoh and Amidamaru, they were all too glad to see this message from the Almighty. They opened the package, which contained a note from the Almighty and three earrings. According to the note, the Norns would lose all of their powers once they left Asgard. This was because leaving Asgard effectively severed their connection to Yggdrasil.

With these earrings, that wasn't a problem anymore. They allowed the Norns to use their powers outside of Asgard and affect those things out of the influence of the twin computers, which was everything. However, even though these items allowed the use of their powers, they would still be weaker than if they had drawn them from Yggdrasil itself. The Almighty urged caution while on their mission.

"Please be careful, this goes doubly for you, Urd!" she read out loud. Upon reading that line, Urd became defensive. "Hey!"

"Gee, I wonder why?" asked Skuld sarcastically.

"Rind, we're going to be away from home to for awhile," announced Belldandy. "If you'd like, you can stay here while you're working in the human world."

"Sure, that would be nice," said Rind. "Good luck with Valiance and get those Omnipotence guys for me!"

* * *

Ross travelled down the streets of Panama City from the Panama of Tarota, the world of the Cardcaptors. The sun was blistering hot and the air was humid. It was an uncomfortably warm place compared to the cold streets of Saint Lowell. Ross' pursuit of the money launderers had led him to this South American city. Bakura's kidnappers had received money from a specially prepared account at Interworld Bank. Domino police had traced money entering this account to a branch of a company known as McCarthy Holdings Incorporated, owned by Alan McCarthy. 

Ross checked his map, while Naomi drove them to McCarthy Holdings' branch office. The cars pulled up beside a lot that was largely empty save for a condemned building. "Well, according to the directions, this is the place," reported Ross as the team disembarked to explore.

"This is just an empty field. There's nothing here but a condemned building," said Amon.

Indeed, Amon saw nothing of importance here. The only thing of any importance was the lone condemned building in the middle of the lot. It was once a warehouse for a furniture company, but had long since abandoned. Even after going inside to investigate, he found nothing that indicated that the location had ever been used in several years. The money launderers were proving to be a tricky group. Miho photographed the area and pocketed the pictures for future reference. Seeing nothing there, the group went back to the police station.

On the way, Ross activated his cell phone. "Hello Juan, yes, it's me, Ross Syllabus. Yeah, listen, we checked the address and all we found was a condemned warehouse. McCarthy Holdings seems to be just a shell corporation. Did you dig up anything on McCarthy himself?"

"That's the problem. We couldn't reach him. When we went to get him, he had already fled his home," said Juan.

"Is that so? Have you frozen his assets and confiscated his financial records yet?"

"Yeah, we're analyzing the files right now," replied Juan. Ross heard what appeared to be another officer yelling in the background. "Hold on a minute, something big just came up." A few minutes later, after listening to the other officer, Juan returned to the phone. "Great news, a witness had just spotted McCarthy heading to the Panama National Airport. Our boys are heading out to nab him right now!"

"Really? That's great! Tell me how it went later," replied Ross, turning off his cell phone. "Juan said they just found out where McCarthy is. They're going out to the airport to get him."

"Nice!" replied Naomi. "He'll blow this case wide open."

A few days later, Ross and his team looked over some financial documents confiscated from McCarthy and his company. From the transactions listing on these documents, Ross and team found several entries relating to the Tooniverse Bank in particular. A lot of money had passed from accounts in the Tooniverse Bank to McCarthy who then transferred these funds to his shell company. In turn, McCarthy transferred these funds under the guise of salaries into Interworld Bank accounts which would be handed to Omnipotence field agents.

Following this new lead, Ross and team made haste to Toontown to speak with the executives of the Tooniverse Bank. The Bebop descended onto an empty field where it released the cars of the investigators. Within minutes, the group pulled into Toontown, which was already showing signs of recovering from Acme's rule and the damage done by terrorist attack and the rebellion. Cranes hauled steel beams onto the near completed skeleton of a new office building. At another building, cement mixers churned their grey glue in their barrels while workers smeared it onto bricks.

Ross' car came upon a mass demonstration of several Toons. Rather, they were from the Tooniverse, but resembled him and his anime brethren more closely than the more anthropomorphic animal Toons of Toontown. On a stage, a brunette addressed the crowd through a microphone. "Hello Toons, I'm Diana Lombard, co-star of the Martin Mystery cartoon. I'd like to say a few words about why we're here. Before, cartoons were thought as something only for kids. It was like that for awhile until the Western world in the human world became exposed to anime..."

"What's going on?" asked Robin.

"It looks like a political rally," observed Miho.

Amon looked over several signs carried by the protestors. "It's a secession rally."

"Secession? Why would Toons want to leave the Tooniverse?" asked Robin.

"It seems what Acme was doing while in power had a lot to do with it. I read that it was kind of like a 'last straw' thing rather a knee-jerk reaction," remarked Amon.

"Are you suggesting that something like this was always on the minds of these Toons?" asked Miho.

"Perhaps... I only know a little about Toon politics so I can't say for sure one way or another," replied Amon. "Right now, this shouldn't be our concern. We should be worried about following the trail while it's still hot."

The detectives sped away, leaving the protest behind. Meanwhile, in the Presidential Mansion of the Tooniverse, President Mickey Mouse held a meeting with his Vice President, Pete, a burly black cat. With them were the Green Arrow and Batman. "What should I do?" asked Mickey. "I never thought it would come to this."

"Aye, secession is a tricky business," remarked Green Arrow. "This didn't come out of the blue. It's been festering for quite some time."

"Yeah, the anime-like Toons are fed up about treated as second-class citizens. The Tooniverse hadn't treated them as equals ever since they came into being. When Acme started the war, he imposed heavy restrictions on their freedom. He began to crack down on dissent, which made the matter worse," said Batman. "These Toons had finally had enough."

"I don't want these Toons to leave the Tooniverse. They may be like anime Toons, but they're still Tooniverse Toons no matter what they look like," stated Pete.

"Yeah, but after what happened with Acme, I can't say I blame them," said Green Arrow. "As anime came to the West in the Human World, it was inevitable that Western anime Toons like them would follow. Even before Acme, everyone saw these Toons as different. You're right Batman, Acme only vindicated the secessionists. When he sent the Eye of God to blow up Ba Sing Se, nobody bought his excuses. It really was the last straw."

"Still, deep down, aren't we all Toons?" asked Mickey.

"Yeah, you're right, but try telling that to the crowd outside," said Batman. "I have nothing against them, but personally, I think this would be for the best for everyone."

"You can't be serious!" remarked Pete.

"I am," affirmed Batman. "Although you might be able to treat them with respect, what will happen when your term ends? What if someone else like Acme were to get into power again?"

"Yeah, I can't imagine how bad the riots and violence would be. Our revolution was the work of amateurs compared what could happen," said Green Arrow.

Mickey sighed as he mulled over what to do. He had no idea what was the right thing to do, to keep the Tooniverse united or let the Western anime Toons go. When he finally came up with the answer, he was unhappy about it. "I guess we have no choice. We'll have to let the Toons go."

"Mickey! You can't be serious?" asked Pete.

"I am, unfortunately," replied Mickey. "I don't think there's any other way around it. It's obvious they don't want anything to do with the Tooniverse. If we force them, it will only make things worse. They hate us as enough already as it is. The only thing we can do now is wish the Western anime Toons luck with their new independence."

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
#51 Chian, The Strong Star: Urd (Oh My Goddess)  
#76 Chisyun, The Elegant Star: Skuld (Oh my Goddess)  
#95 Chison, The Wounded Star: Keichi Morisato (Oh my Goddess)  
#101 Chiin, The Shadowy Star: Belldandy (Oh my Goddess)

Spotlight: Oh my Goddess

This anime follows the budding relationship between Keichi Morisato, a Nekomi Technical Institute student, and Belldandy, a goddess of Heaven. The two met one day when Keichi accidentally phoned Belldandy's office. She appeared and granted his wish, to have her stay with him. Since Keichi's dorm didn't permit women, they took up residence in a Buddhist temple. Later on, Belldandy's sisters came to live with her. Together, the Norns and Keichi had various adventures dealing with gods, demons, and problems with Yggdrasil.

Origin:  
In Asgard, being a god or a demon is more like a job in a corporation. Their conflict is more of a professional nature rather than a traditional good versus evil conflict. Each side desires to increase its 'market share' over the world at the expense of the other. The Norns were trained to work as goddesses and as technicians for Yggdrasil in Urd and Skuld's case. Keichi is a regular human, but has great skill in mechanics with a hobby in motorcycles.

Powers:  
Although they look magical, Asgard's powers are purely scientific. Although the human world is much like our own, the worlds of the gods and demons are another matter. Heaven and Hell have advanced science to such a degree that it is virtually integrated into the beings of the gods and demons. Though the supercomputers, Yggdrasil and Nidhogg, they can do almost anything anyone could think of. In fact, they are what sustain the world of Asgard. However, this system does have its limits, losing much of its power in and against the outside world.


	26. Fall of the Abh Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. This chapter features a cameo by characters from Winx Club, created by Iginio Straffi.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Fall of the Abh Story, part 2: Evangelia Liberated **

Misato's second mission was the one she and her comrades at NERV had waited for a long time. It was to liberate her own world, Evangelia, from Omnipotence and Abh occupation. This mission was the perfect chance for NERV to pay the enemy back for their invasion of the Geofront. Without the Bone Eater's Well to limit her forces, Misato could now employ the Evangelions and the orbital support of the Crimson Egg. With these advantages, Misato would not be caught in a long, drawn out campaign like in the Feudal Era.

In her office, Misato read over the intelligence reports from Valiance's scouts and spies. She looked over a map which colour-coded the areas of Japan occupied by Omnipotence and the Abh. At the moment, all of Japan was under Omnipotence and Abh occupation. The enemy had also taken over nearly half of mainland China. Misato flipped the page and saw a picture of the same type of Angel used to attack the Geofront earlier. The report described there being nearly a hundred of these Angels in the enemy attack force. There were also thousands of soldier-sized versions of these Angels guarding the interior of the Geofront.

After reviewing these documents, Misato planned the attack. One the day of the attack, the Crimson Egg suddenly emerged from a spatial vortex in space above Evangelia. Already present in this area were three Abh battle cruisers. The Abh ships realized they were under attack and prepared for battle. The Crimson Egg launched several robotic fighter drones. These plane-like drones swooped around the cruisers, making bombing runs on the enemy. The enemy returned fire but were unable to hit the fast, mobile drones with any accuracy.

One of the cruisers advanced on the Crimson Egg, prompting it to fire. Several beams of blue energy flew at the cruiser, which shot back in a similar fashion. It launched a nuclear missile. The missile shot out of its bay and rocked the Crimson Egg's port side, but did little damage thanks to sturdy shielding. The drones and the Crimson Egg concentrated fire on the cruiser attacking the Crimson Egg. Beams flashed back and forth, rocking both ships to their deepest foundation. One beam blasted a hole in the Abh cruiser.

The ship rocked, nearly knocking everyone onto the floor. The captain requested a damage report as work crews worked to extinguish fires. The cruiser shuddered as more beams hit it, setting off more short circuits and explosions. The cruiser shuddered in response to the titanic attack. A drone closed in and sent a pair of missiles flying into the ship. Upon impact, the explosions ripped the ship in half. Several secondary explosions lit up, signalling the cruiser's demise before it went up in a blaze of glory.

When the second and third ships met a similar fate, Dr. Eggman reported his success to Misato. "We've got outer space all to ourselves now. We can invade the planet anytime you want."

"Thank you Dr. Eggman," she replied. "All forces begin descent operations immediately!"

The transport ships emerged from their location hidden within the moon's orbit. One by one, the ships descended onto the planet's surface like blazing comets. They landed on the ground with a single thud. From the open side doors of three of these drop ships emerged the Evas. The mecha strapped on power packs from their drop ships and assembled energy rifles for battle. Upon marching into battle, the almost immediately came a seven member group of white Angels which had attacked the Geofront.

Unit 01 fired its energy rifle into the ranks of the Angels. Its aim was sure and burned out the eye of its target. Shinji spotted another advancing on him and fired into its chest. Despite trying to raise an AT Field, the Angel couldn't focus enough power to prevent the beam from punching through. It seared a gaping hole on its way through the Angel's chest, collapsing it. Even as the Angel writhed on the ground in agony, the Angel began to regenerate the damage done to it.

Shinji fired another beam into a third Angel, but it raised an AT Field to protect itself. "Oh great!" remarked Shinji over the radio.

"Well, what did you expect? They're Angels," said Asuka.

Unit 02 closed on the Angels with a progressive knife drawn. She tore through the Angel's AT Field and impaled the knife fatally through its ruby eye. She picked up the fallen body and hurled it into another Angel, who raised an AT Field to save itself. Asuka fired energy shots at the Angel, but was blocked by its AT Field. Despite its protection, Asuka was beginning to wear it down. After the third shot, the Angel gave out, allowing Asuka's fourth shot to get through. It seared a hole clean through the chest. Asuka corrected her aim and took out the eye with her fifth shot.

From above, the Crimson Egg rained luminous blue destruction from its location in outer space. The beams seemed to dance all around the Angels. They tried using AT Fields to shield themselves, but even they were of only limited help. The bombardment took its toll on the Angels' AT Fields, leading to their inevitable collapse. The Crimson Egg's bombardment seared through leaving behind only ash. The way to the Geofront's entrances was now clear of enemy units. Valiance's foot soldiers swarmed into the Geofront to reclaim it for their side.

Lina and Luffy's teams entered the Geofront's metal hallways, where they came face to face with a squad of humanoid beings. Much like albinos, they had chalky white skin and a sickly complexion. Their eyes were bloodshot, almost as though they were extremely sleep-deprived. They were clad in camouflage uniforms like those normally worn by soldiers. Lina created a fireball and hurled it into the crowd. It exploded with violent, deafening force. When the smoke cleared, half of the enemy had been incinerated. The survivors managed to combine powers and hide behind a stronger AT Field.

"Well, half is still good," remarked Lina.

The battle lines formed as the two sides clashed in a chaotic melee. Unlike normal humans, these soldiers were tougher to bring down, largely due to the AT Fields and regenerative capabilities. Gourry slashed at an Angel soldier, but ended up striking its AT Field. It turned its hand into a spear and lunged back at Gourry, who parried with his sword. Gourry aimed for the eyes but was stopped by the creature's AT Field again. Gourry parried a second lunge. He motioned to the side which sliced off the creature's left hand. It fell to the ground with a plop, but the creature was already growing a new one.

Gourry activated the enchantments of his sword to even out the odds. His sword glowed with the white light of pure magic. The Angel lunged at him, only to be parried. Gourry flicked his sword sideways, effectively severing the Angel's forearm. Gourry slashed at the Angel, keeping it off balance. Despite its attempts to defend itself, the magically enhanced sword was too much for the Angel. Gourry forced a stab through the Angel's defence and into its heart. With the Angel stunned, he pulled out his blade and made a final slash across the neck, decapitating it. The Angel collapsed and disintegrated into ash.

"Aim for the heart, that's their weak spot!" informed Gourry.

"Well now you tell me!" cried Zolo, who evaded an Angel's slash.

"You can try magic if you want..."

"I can't use magic, idiot!" remarked Zolo. He unleashed a flurry of sword strokes to his Angel. Naturally, the enemy hid behind the safety of its AT Field. He eventually feigned a slash to the head, tricking the Angel into raising his AT Field at that location. Zolo immediately went for the Angel's heart, piercing through it with a single stab. When he pulled his sword out, the Angel crumbled into ash.

Despite having one of the best defences possible, even an AT Field was not perfect. Valiance took advantage of the holes to quickly fell the Angel soldiers and their Omnipotence controllers. Valiance swept through NERV headquarters and was soon in control of the place. It was a happy day for the NERV remnants, having finally reclaimed their home. They effected repairs to the place which became Valiance's new beachhead. The Evas finally returned to their hangar for the first time in months.

"It's great to be back," said Misato as she examined the situation in the base. "I missed this place. We made a mess of the place to get it back, but at least it's ours now."

"Yeah," said Ritsuko. "I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever come back here."

As Valiance prepared to clean out the base, the Eva pilots toured the place they once worked in. "What a mess!" remarked Asuka, looking over the burn marks and smashed furniture in the lounge.

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home," remarked Zolo, entering the lounge. He approached the water cooler and made himself a drink.

"Humble? It's more like a pigsty now!" remarked Asuka.

"Hey, that can't be helped. When these guys took over, they were bound to make a mess of the place," said Zolo, sipping his water. "At least you guys got back your place. Not everyone is as lucky as you are." Zolo noticed Luffy come into the lounge to relax. "Oh hi Luffy!"

"Hi Zolo, this place is so cool!" said Luffy. "It's got these amazing boxes that do so many wonderful things. I was in a box that took me to so many new places. It was fun! Sanji just cooked me something to eat in another box. It made this cute little ding sound when it was done."

"What is he talking about?" whispered Shinji.

"I think he's talking about the microwave," replied Rei.

"He's like a kid!" remarked Asuka. "Is this guy really one of us?"

"If you haven't noticed, we're just kids too," said Rei matter-of-factly.

"Well duh!" quipped Asuka.

"So, you must be enjoying yourself," suggested Zolo.

"Yep, I'm never seen so many wonderful things in one place," replied Luffy. "See ya later, Zolo!" Luffy sauntered out of the room with a big smile on his face.

Zolo drank some water from the water cooler. "Well, I'll be heading out too. Take care kids." Zolo drank the rest of his water and hurled the cup into a trash can on his way out.

* * *

When Valiance had cleaned up the Geofront, Misato held a briefing to explain Valiance's next move. Valiance's spies and scouts had located an Omnipotence base hidden under the lake to the east where Old Tokyo used to be. This was the same area Valiance had set up camp to locate and capture members of the Omnipotence arms running ring. Though they were in the position to find it, Ross and Koichi's detachment never got the time. Omnipotence had begun its attack on the Geofront, forcing Valiance's into supporting NERV against them. 

Now that the arms running ring had been crushed, Valiance was free to devote its full time and energy into invading this base. This enemy hideout was a factory where they created the cloned angels. Spies reported seeing numerous vats filled with fecundating fluids. Omnipotence raised new Angels within these vats to fill out its army. This factory could create up to three gigantic Angels each week, the same kind used to attack the Geofront. They could also create smaller, infantry-level Angels at a rate of a dozen each week. This facility had to be shut down, as well as any others that may exist.

This factory was a vital part of Omnipotence's presence in Evangelia. Nearly the entire enemy force consisted of Angels or Angel infantry created in this facility. Due to its vital nature, the facility always kept a squadron of giant Angels under high alert in case of enemy attack. It was also guarded by Angel infantry numbering into the hundreds as well as a non-Angel security and command staff.

NERV began the launch sequence for the Evangelions. A hidden metal doorway opened in the mountains, allowing the Evas to enter the wilderness outside of Tokyo-3. The Evas advanced on the lake where they took up key defensive positions. They began firing into the water, hoping to lure out Omnipotence forces. Omnipotence eventually deployed their Angels to combat the Evas, just as Misato predicted. Rei in Unit 00 detected one of the Angels approaching her position.

She promptly unleashed energy from her rifle. The shots impacted the enemy's AT Field, causing the Angel no harm. The Angel returned fire, shooting beams of crimson energy from its Cyclopean eye. Rei raised her own AT Field, weathering the attack without harm. She ran in for close-quarters combat, drawing her prog knife on the way in. She turned on Unit 00's AT Field to erode her way through the enemy's. Within a few seconds, the Angel's AT Field buckled under the strain. Rei stabbed the prog knife into the Angel's eye, which gushed out blood. The Angel collapsed and crumbled into ash.

Shinji watched as more Angels approached the Evas. "Misato, we've got the Angels' attention," reported Shinji.

"Good, all units, begin the second phase of the attack," commanded Misato.

Several Valiance soldiers emerged from hiding. They raced up to a hidden steel door and planted explosives on it. After a fifteen second countdown, the explosives blew down the door. They rushed and gunned down several Omnipotence agents before they could react. Using his rubberized body, Luffy extended a fist right into the jaw of an enemy soldier. Valiance poured into the cloning facility like a tidal wave. More enemy soldiers went down from enemy fire before the enemy could get their act together. Luffy wound up and sent an elastically powered-up punch right between an enemy's eyes.

Several minutes into the conflict, a new hole burst open into the metal walls of the hi-tech hideout. The Bugrom emerged from the hole with weapons drawn, beginning the second wave of the attack. Valiance and Omnipotence troops formed battle lines at the entrance to the Angel cloning area. The Zaibach soldiers provided covering fire with Chlima weapons while armoured Saillune troops entered under the cover of magical barriers. Once the two sides closed, it began all out melee with soldier fighting Angel in the warehouse-like vat room.

An Angel soldier hid behind its AT Field, fearful of Zolo's wrath. Zolo hurled slash after slash, keeping the Angel pinned down and off-balance. A slash went at the head, only to be stopped by the AT Field. Another went to the body and then a third from the other side. Yet another came from overhead, but the Angel somehow managed to hold on. Zolo made a slash with his mouth sword finally breaking through the AT Field. Before the blade went into its eyes, the Angel veered its head away. After three more slashes, Zolo connected a thrust to the Angel's heart, reducing it to ashen powder.

Shayla ran afoul of an Angel soldier in the hall across the vat room. She immediately hurled fire at it, forcing her enemy to raise its AT Field. Shayla intensified the flames, hoping to wear out her enemy. Despite this increase, the Angel was able to maintain its AT Field. She decided to try a different approach. She twirled her fingers around, spinning wisps of flame around the Angel's feet. The Angel moved its guard and its sight away as expected. Shayla sent a fire bolt at the Angel's eyes, blinding and dazing it. As it stumbled about, Shayla blasted it through the heart burning out the creature.

"Hey you there!" cried Luffy.

"What is it?" asked Shayla.

"We have to get rid of these vats. Help me out!"

"Okay, led the way."

Luffy pointed to each of the vats in the room. Shayla psychically incinerated each of the vats as Luffy pointed them out. Each vat burst into smokeless flame upon exposure to her powers. Two near fully grown Angel soldiers leapt from the vats. Unlike fully grown Angels, these humanoid creatures look almost like white chocolate that had been left in the sun for too long. They hardened flesh into stony spikes and hurled them as projectiles. Luffy and Shayla leapt for cover behind some undamaged vats. Luffy gestured for Shayla to cause a diversion. She nodded and ran out to throw a fire bolt at one of the Angels.

Predictably, the Angels raised AT Fields to guard against the explosion. A pair of Gum Gum punches blasted the Angels in the back of the head, momentarily dazing them. Shayla threw fire bolts into the creatures' hearts. They seared through and punctured their hearts, causing the creatures to melt down into white goo completely. "Well, that went well," remarked Shayla.

"Let's go, you've still go more to go," said Luffy.

"Oh yeah, easy for you to say. I'm doing all the work!"

Shayla continued to burn down the remaining vats. Once again, a trio of partially grown Angels leapt out of the vats, these ones as melted in appearance as the others. Unlike the first, they had caught fire during Shayla's efforts to destroy the vats. Despite being on fire, their amazing regenerative capabilities kept them going. They fired spikes at the heroes, who evaded once again. Luffy threw a Gum Gum punch which was blocked by an AT Field. Shayla threw fire bolts which were also blocked by the same AT Field.

Luffy noticed more Angels emerging from the other undamaged vats. "Oh great!" said Shayla.

"Shayla!" cried Miz as she emerged from behind some vats with Afura.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up!" said Shayla.

"Don't forget about me," said Zolo, emerging from behind another set of vats. "Let's show these zombies a thing or two about how we handle things over in the Great Blue."

Zolo and the Muldoon priestesses charged into the fray. Zolo approached an Angel and hurled sword swipes at it. Shayla hurled blistering fire, prompting some of them to raise AT Fields. Afura blew a fierce wind over the Angels, knocking several of them down. She whirled these fierce winds into a tornado by mimicking the spinning with her fingers. The twisters sucked the Angel soldiers in and grinded them, heart and all, into a white, gooey paste. Miz blasted other Angels with water, sending three of them crashing through the side of a spawning vat. Luffy socked another Angel in the face, which launched it into another vat as well.

Fecundating fluid gushed out of these vats and split all over the ground. Several partially formed Angels, carried by the rushing liquid, were dumped onto the ground. Shayla gestured at the stillborn Angels and ignited them. "We have to destroy the vats. Let's finish the job before more guys pop out of them!" urged Shayla.

The Muldoon priestesses turned their elemental powers onto the vats, annihilating them in a flurry of elemental destruction. "That's all of them," said Afura.

"What about the big ones?" asked Shayla.

"Don't worry about them, Nami and the others are taking care of them as we speak," said Zolo.

Luffy called up Misato with the good news. "Good work," she complimented. "Help the rest of the forces clean out the base. We've got this one in the bag!"

* * *

As Misato was wrapping up a battle in her home world of Evangelia, Jinto and Lafiel were returning to report on one of their own. The Basroil landed on the platform in Valiance's orbiting space station. As they left the ship, Abh work crews saluted as Captain Abriel and Jinto emerged from their ship. From its appearance, the Basroil had seen some serious space combat over in the Blue Stars. There were quite a few scorch marks dotted along its chassis. Its port side had had three holes punched into it with another on the top side. Medics rushed wounded crew members to better equipped facilities for treatment. 

"I didn't know how we did it, but we got through that one in one piece," remarked Jinto as he followed Lafiel through the space station.

"Yeah, after losing so many ships, who knew that the insurgents could still put up such a fight. Well, it's all behind us now. If things still go as well as it has, we should be taking back the capital within the month," said Lafiel.

"Yeah, but even if we take over the capital and eliminate the Abh, there's still Omnipotence to deal with," warned Jinto.

"Yep, but word has it that they're not doing so well either. I heard Detective Syllabus is cracking down hard on the money laundering. It won't be long before he brings down the entire operation. Without money, Omnipotence can't do anything. One of our generals is leading forces to retake the planets captured by the insurgents. She's already reclaimed one and is going after another now. It looks like Omnipotence and friends are coming apart at the seams."

The duo reached a door where Jinto pressed a button to summon the elevator. The two took it down one floor and continued through the commercial district. The two reached yet another elevator, which they took to the space station shuttle bay. After using one of the shuttles to get down to the planet, the two continued onto the headquarters, a dome decorated by the symbol of a fedora-wearing detective's silhouette. This symbol was Valiance's insignia and obviously based on Eddie Valiant's appearance. The guards escorted them to the offices of Valiance's leader.

"Oh hello Lafiel, glad to see you," said Eddie pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Sure, tea would be nice," replied Lafiel.

"Pour a cup of tea for me too," said Jinto.

As the Eddie poured their drinks, the Abh officers sat down before Folken. "So what have you to report," he asked, getting straight down to business.

"We have retaken Volbeirunei Naval Station. From here, we can launch attacks against Lakfakalle, the Imperial City. The insurgents have taken up positions around the capital to make a last stand. If things go well, we can retake the capital as soon as a month," reported Jinto.

Eddie served cups of tea to the Abh officers and sat down across from them. "That's good news. With the Abh insurgents out of the way, we've got one less headache to deal with."

"It's not as simple as that," remarked Lafiel. "We've got a new problem, the civil war has left the Abh Empire vulnerable. The Four Nation Alliance has begun to take Imperial territory as its own in the confusion."

"I hope you don't intend to ask us to support you against the Alliance..." warned Folken. "Valiance's support comes on the condition of assisting those being threatened by Omnipotence terrorism. We do not wish to be dragged in a war against the Four Nation Alliance."

"Oh no, don't take this the wrong way, Folken. Valiance has done more than enough to help us," said Lafiel. "Empress Ramaj has anticipated this outcome. We have made a ceasefire which will buy some time to consolidate our forces and recover from the civil war. She has resigned herself to the fact that the Abh Empire will be a shadow of its former glory. We stand to more than a third of our territories to the Alliance and independence movements. The best we can hope for is to salvage what we can."

"That's the problem with empires, they always end badly," said Folken. "I hope that you will continue to provide us with support against Omnipotence at least?"

"Of course," replied Lafiel. "Empress Ramaj has guaranteed her support against Cephiro and other Omnipotence holdings."

"We'd also like to bring up the subject of the attack on the Imperial Capital. We'd like some of Valiance's heroes to support the recapture of Lakfakalle," said Jinto.

"I see," said Eddie. "You're in luck. We just so happen to have some people we can send."

"Thank you Mr. Valiant," said Lafiel. "I'm sure they will be of great help."

* * *

At the Presidential Mansion, Mickey Mouse's limo pulled up to the step. Several black suited men and anthropomorphic animals exited their cars and began to secure the area. When it was safe, they escorted Mickey into the mansion. Upon entry into his office, Mickey was greeted by Pete, Batman, and Green Arrow. "Welcome back, Mickey, it's done now, isn't it?" asked Pete. 

"Yep," replied Mickey in disappointment. "The anime-like Toons are on their own now."

"None us wanted this to happen, Micky, but ultimately, it will be for the best," said Green Arrow. "This is just bigger than all of us."

"If I were them, I'd ally myself with someone who could provide protection and support," remarked Batman. "The problem is, who would they ask?"

"They might end up asking the anime Toons," suggested Pete. "... Or maybe they'll just form their own alliance and run all the way with this."

"I've been talking with these Toons and it looks like they want to form a new alliance with each other," informed Green Arrow. "The Bender Nations and Magix had already made one even before this whole mess started. Many of the other nations are looking at their alliance as an example of what to do."

"Well, whatever they do, we'll find out eventually," said Batman. "So, how are relief efforts going for Ba Sing Se?"

"Quite well, actually," said Mickey. "Even though there's so much tension, the Toons could still find it in their hearts to help out those in need."

At Ba Sing Se, such relief efforts continued on course. After the attack by the Eye of God, many homes had been flattened. A gaping, circular hole was left in the middle of one of Ba Sing Se's busiest markets and residential areas. Despite the attempts of Acme's government to pin the blame on anime terrorists, no one believed them. In distrust of their occupiers, the Bender Nations saw through their deceptions. When the Toons finally ended their occupation, it was cause for celebration.

In a village beyond the limits of Ba Sing Se, supplies were about to depart for the devastated city. A truck-like vehicle hovered above the ground by way of strange disks underneath. A flying bison emerged from the horizon and landed near the convoy. A bald young boy hopped off of his mount. He was dressed in orange and yellow garb much like that of a Shaolin monk. The boy approached the window of one of the hover trucks, prompting the driver to roll down his window to greet him. As the window descended, it revealed the face of a handsome blond teenager.

"Hello, are you Aang?" asked the driver.

"Yep, that's right," replied Aang. "I'm here to guide you, uh..."

"Sky," replied the driver, shaking hands with Aang. "Glad to meet you. We'll be counting on you to help protect our cargo. Our convoy is three trucks large. My truck and Helia's over there are carrying water. Riven's truck in the very back is carrying food rations. We'll have to travel through the Great Divide to reach Ba Sing Se, so please make sure we get there as quickly as possible."

"Don't worry, you're in good hands," replied Aang.

"Good, just hop in and we'll be off."

Aang returned to his group. "I'm going to stay above on Appa. Sokka, why don't you go with Sky."

"Sure," replied the bronzed boy.

"Katara, you can go with Helia, and Toph, you can go with Riven in the back," directed Aang.

The trio boarded the empty seat beside the driver. "Cool, I've always wanted to ride in one of these things," remarked Sokka.

"Yeah, it's even more fun to drive them," reminded Sky. "Just don't forget your seatbelt. It might get a little rough today."

Following Sky's directions, Sokka was able to buckle up properly. Sky started the engine, which started with the sound of whirring. Some of the convoy's escort hover bikes went out ahead while the supply trucks followed behind with other escorts. The entire convoy pulled out of the area in a line with Sky as the lead truck and Riven bringing up the rear. The convoy travelled down a single dirt road on grassy plains. After nearly an hour of travel, they pulled into a second village on the threshold to the Great Divide where they stopped for a break.

The Great Divide itself was a massive chasm which separated Ba Sing Se from the rest of the world. It was a massive labyrinth of valleys and mountains which were difficult to navigate. It was easy to get lost in this area from all of the possible pathways one could take. In addition, it was also a very dangerous place to travel and put the convoy at a tactical disadvantage. Due to so many elevated areas, it was easy for anyone to set up an ambush against the convoy. In addition, some dangerous and hostile creatures were known to live in the area, attacking if disturbed.

"Now, here's where it gets dangerous," remarked Sokka as he watched his truck entered the Great Divide. "Of all the places they had to put Ba Sing Se, it had to be here."

"No arguments from me," said Sky. "It would be a lot easier if we didn't have to go through this place at all. Well, everything is going fine. Hopefully, this will keep up, and we'll be in Ba Sing Se in no time."

After several minutes of travelling through twisting passageways, Aang pulled up to Sky's window. "Hold on guys, I saw a landslide blocking the road up ahead. Toph is going to take care of it so please wait until she's done."

Toph exited her truck and walked up to the fallen rocks. With a hard stomp and a thrust forward, she propelled several rocks forward. They blew out of the pile as though dynamite had exploded near them. Within a few minutes, the way was clear. "All done boys, you can go now!" she called.

The convoy travelled forward over the rubble of the landslide. Several minutes in, the road dipped downward. It travelled through an area with several caves in the sides of the mountains. "Great, we're right in the middle of canyon crawler territory," remarked Sokka.

"Canyon crawler territory?" asked Sky.

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Let's hope they don't notice us," said Sokka.

In the sky, Aang circled overhead on Appa, looking for any signs of unusual movement. A few minutes in, he thought he saw something skitter across the mountainside in the corner of his eye. When he turned to look at it, it was already gone. He spotted something else crawling on the side of the chasm, finally able to determine what it was. It was a creature much like a spider and crocodile hybrid moving uncomfortably close to the convoy. More of its kind skittered along the side of the chasm, headed right for the convoy.

Aang flew Appa back to Sky's hover truck. "Watch out, I just saw a dozen canyon crawlers coming our way!"

No sooner than Aang warned him than those creatures descended on the convoy. One landed on top of Sky's truck. The sudden clang and shuddering of the canyon crawler's landing freaked him out. "Whoa!" he gasped.

Sokka exited the truck to confront the creature. He hurled his boomerang into the canyon crawler, nailing it at the back of the skull and knocking it unconscious. "Keep driving, we'll hold them off," said Sokka as he caught his returning boomerang.

Sokka made his way to Helia's truck which had come under attack by more canyon crawlers. Sokka hurled his boomerang one of them, catching it in the middle left leg. The creature lost its footing and slumped onto its left side. When his boomerang returned, Sokka ran forward and hurled it between the creature's eyes, knocking it unconscious. Another pounced onto the truck alarming Helia. Sokka hurled his boomerang at the creature, knocking it off of the truck. It landed on the ground, blowing up a cloud of dust.

Aang propelled blasts of wind directly into a group of canyon crawlers, blowing the three into the side of the mountain. "Are you okay?" asked Sokka.

"I'm fine," replied the Avatar. "I've taken care of these guys, let's see how the others are doing."

Katara whirled around some water and lashed it into the face of a canyon crawler. Another attempted to pounce on her but she suddenly arced the water backwards and nailed the creature in the back of the head. She swerved the water to another's back, knocking it flat onto its underbelly. She looked around and found the guards fighting the rest of the attackers with Toph. The guards cut down several more while Toph hurled canyon crawlers away by sliding the ground beneath them. With the situation under control, the security forces caught up with the trucks away from the battle area.

Sokka open the door to Sky's truck. "Are you okay?" asked Sky.

"I'm fine," replied Sokka. "At least we can say that our trip wasn't uneventful."

Sky smiled. "Yeah, who knew that delivering supplies could be so exciting? Let's be on our way. There are a lot of people who need this stuff."

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None

Spotlight: Escaflowne

Escaflowne follows the adventures of an Earth girl named Hitomi Kanzaki, who is brought to the world of Gaea. The world of Gaea was facing turmoil from Zaibach's military conquest. The Dornkirk, the Zaibach Emperor, desired the secrets of Atlantis to create a utopia in the world of Gaea. Upon entering Gaea, Hitomi befriends the prince of Fanellia, Van, whose kingdom was destroyed during a Zaibach attack. She discovers that her psychic powers are growing and a threat to the Zaibach's goal, which put her at odds with them. Over time, Hitomi and Van gathered a larger sphere of friends and unravelled the secrets of Atlantis and Gaea.

Origin:  
Folken is the right hand man of Zaibach Emperor Dornkirk. It was Dornkirk who taught Folken everything he knew about science. In fact, Dornkirk was also the man who saved Folken after he failed to pass the test needed to ascend Fanellia's throne. As a debt of gratitude, Folken entered in Dornkirk's service. A similar chain of events happened with the cat sisters, Nariya and Eriya.

Powers:  
On Gaea, science is the major power type, especially in the Zaibach Empire, where it is the most advanced. The people of the world used mostly steam technology rather than the electronics of our world. The Guymelef is a marvel of Gaean engineering, essentially a non-electronic walking robot control by a pilot. The Zaibach had acquired an even more amazing technology known as the "Fate Alteration Engine" from the Atlanteans. This technology made thoughts real, but proved to be too dangerous for widespread use. Today, it is kept under strict lock and key and only used to maintain Dornkirk's life.

Gaea does have some psionics, the key user of which is Hitomi herself. She can foretell the future using tarot cards and use her pendant to locate individuals and things. Other than Hitomi, there are very few known users of psionics.


	27. Return of Valiance Story, Part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Return of Valiance Story, part 3: The Philosopher's Stone **

Koichi's group was finally able to return to the Valiance home world in the Outlaw Star. They had brought the Keichi Morisato, a mortal, and the Norns with them as representatives of Asgard to see the world outside of their own. When the Outlaw Star's door opened, the Keichi and the Norns were greeted with the sight of a bustling star ship hangar in the home world. Dozens of work crews and technicians maintained the various ships kept in the hangar. They were a motley crew of people from different ethnic backgrounds..

"Wow," said Skuld. "I've never seen so many different people in the same place." A Kabuterimon mechanic in an identifying hat and covering clothes walked by in front her. The mere sight of an insect the height of a fully grown man was enough to put her off. "EEK! What is that thing?"

"What thing?" asked Koichi, before she pointed out the Kabuterimon. "Oh, you mean the Kabuterimon? He's one of our mechanics. We have quite a few who are soldiers too, so you'll be seeing a lot of them around these parts."

Even Urd and Keichi was disturbed by this. "You let creatures like that walk around freely here?" asked Urd.

"What if they hurt someone?" asked Keichi.

"I don't see what the problem is. They aren't doing anything wrong," said Belldandy.

"Well, at least someone understands how we do things here," said Yolei. "You should follow Belldandy's example."

"Yeah, well, easy for you to say. We don't have ferocious beasts walking around our streets!" said Keichi.

"Eh, you'll get used to it," said Yoh casually.

With their mission done, Koichi's group dispersed, leaving him behind to give the Norns a guided tour. The group visited local landmarks in the Valiance base from stores for personal items to training areas for the soldiers. The Norns even became acquainted with various key individuals in the Valiance army from heroes and generals to the common soldier. The group came across a small, panicking reindeer creature running around carrying several boxes filled with medical supplies.

"He's so adorable!" said Belldandy.

"That's Chopper," introduced Koichi. "He's one of our medics. If you get hurt, he can fix you up."

The tour passed through the Square of the Stars at the centre of the base. In the centre of this area, were the three Tablets of the Stars. They stood as a monument to the union of the 108 Stars of Destiny, listing their names in honour like a plaque from a hall of fame. Valiance workers had erected a small, tent-like shelter to keep the tablets safe from the elements. Judging from the tablet's pristine condition, it wasn't necessary to house them under a shelter. The tablets had long outlived the civilization which had produced them.

"Hey, my name is on that!" remarked Skuld.

"Yeah, mine too!" said Urd.

"Guess that means you're a Star of Destiny like us," said Koichi.

"A what?" asked Keichi.

"You're one of the 108 people chosen by destiny to lead the world to a new era," said Koichi. "We will play a big role in the battles to come. Let's continue our tour."

For their last stop, Koichi led the Norns and Keichi to Valiance headquarters where Folken and Eddie worked. They came upon the door to Eddie's office, guarded by the two masses of muscle that were the Minotarumon. These Digimon were as tall as a grown man, but with muscles far larger than what most men could ever hope to have. They looked very strong and intimidating, not someone that was good to pick a fight with. The Minotarumon waved the group inside, where they met Eddie and Folken.

"Hey Koichi, are these the new recruits?" asked Eddie.

"Yep, they are," replied Koichi.

"Good, let me and Folken talk with them for awhile. You're dismissed," said Eddie.

* * *

A few days passed before Koichi and his team were called back to Eddie's office. The leaders of Valiance had a mission for his team. Folken gave him his new mission, which would take place in Alchemic Earth near the Ishbal-Amestris border. The Ishabalans had formed into a Confederation under the leadership of a council. However, this Council was thoroughly corrupt, having been formed by Omnipotence agents operating in the region. Since they had formed this Council, all of the high ranking leaders and members had Omnipotence links or were actually Omnipotence themselves. 

According to Bradley's intelligence, the Ishbalans were very aware of this corruption. As such, the Ishbalan Council was highly unpopular, a fact further supported by periodic riots and resistance operations. Although the Council had been successful in putting these down, it only served to worsen its unpopularity. The fact that Omnipotence was foreign made the Ishbalans feel like they were under occupation, something they deeply resented. Coupled with an unwanted war against Amestris, Bradley's intelligence forces were surprised that Ishbal could still function as a country.

Folken continued the briefing. "Amestris had lost East City from the Ishbalan Council's offensive. Bradley's forces had managed to contain enemy forces in the city and eastern Amestris. He has received reports of ringers with superhuman abilities operating within the enemy forces," warned Folken. "You will meet Bradley in his camp in the fields west of East City. The Elric Brothers and Winry Rockbell will come with you. Bradley will give a more detailed briefing. Dismissed."

Koichi's team made their way to Bradley's camp site with the Outlaw Star. With a hiss, the red space ship landed on the grassy fields by a camp bustling with blue-coated soldiers. When soldiers showed the heroes into Bradley's tent, Amestris' leader greeted them. "Ah, welcome heroes of Valiance and you too, Fullmetal. You could not have come at a better time."

King Bradley briefed the heroes of Valiance about the current situation. At the moment, the Amestrian military had managed to hold the line outside of East City. They wanted to retake East City, but were having problems with some of the Council's troops. Although the military could easily handle a normal Ishbalan army, they weren't as effective against Omnipotence's superhumanly enhanced ringers, even with battle alchemy. This was the reason why Bradley called in help from Valiance. He wanted Koichi's group to eliminate as many of these ringers as possible to make the battle easier for his troops.

"East City is under Council occupation at the moment. Your mission is to destroy as many barracks as possible to reduce the numbers of these superhuman soldiers," stated Bradley. "The citizens are still living there, so be careful in there."

"Why are the people still inside?" asked Al. "Why haven't they have fled by now?"

"Some did flee before and during the Council's invasion, but many simply couldn't or refused to leave. When the Council occupied the city, they banned anyone from leaving under penalty of death," said Bradley. "We don't know why, so you must take care not to harm them during your missions."

Knowing their mission, the group snuck into East City under the cover of nightfall. Guards patrolled the walls around the city on the lookout for any suspicious activity inside and outside of the city. One of the guards looked away to the inside of the city, a hole which the group exploited to sneak past the wall. Koichi's group split up and eventually found a barracks where several Ishbalan soldiers milled about. All of them looked normal, but appearances were quite deceiving. Any or all of them could be superhuman.

"Let's get this one," Ed said to Al.

Ed and Al took strategic positions around the building. When they were ready, Ed and Al clapped their hands. They glowed with vibrant blue electricity as he touched the ground. The ground shuddered slightly as a massive hole opened beneath the building. The brick and mortar barracks ruptured as it collapsed into the hole. The hapless soldiers inside were swallowed up along with their barracks. When the attack was over, the barracks had been swallowed into the ground along with its inhabitants. When the authorities finally came to investigate, the brothers Elric had long fled.

"So far so good," remarked Ed as he ran through a dark alley.

The brothers heard a fiery explosion flare up from another part of the city. "Looks like the others are doing well too," remarked Al.

However, as the team attack various barracks around the city, the authorities became suspicious. They realized they were under attack and sounded the alarm. Following their plan, Koichi's team broke off their attacks and secretly regroup in an alleyway at the western side of the city near its exit. "How did yours go, Ed?" asked Koichi.

"Nice, we put a sinkhole into the barracks. They won't be digging that out for quite some time," remarked Ed.

"Good, let's get out of here," said Yolei.

The group snuck their way to the gates while the authorities dealt with the problem of collapsed barracks. As they made their way past the gate, a lookout on the wall noticed them running into the desert. He called for help, prompting several of Omnipotence's superhuman ringers to charge out of the city. Some flew out by air, while others went over the gate either by climbing or simply jumping. Yolei turned around and flung seeds into a descending jumper. They tore through his chest, causing him to land on the ground in a chaotic heap.

Shurimon rolled out of the path of a jet of flame. He got up and hurled shuriken. The sharp stars embedded into the ringer's chest as she advanced, sending her onto the ground. Madison summoned the Voice Card and screamed as loudly as she could. Amplified by the Voice Card, her scream roiled the earth and deafened a pair of ringers painfully. They clutched at their ears painfully, desperately trying to block out the sound. Unable to withstand the mind-shattering noise, the enemy duo collapsed onto the ground.

One of the ringers, took aim at Filia with his eyes beams. The beams of crimson streamed out and became blunted by a spherical barrier of golden light around Filia's body. Yoh spotted that ringer and sent a Celestial Slash at him. The blade of air tore into the ringer and knocked him out of the sky. Upon landing on the ground, the man blew up a dusty cloud. Yoh and Filia continued to flee further into the desert once their pursuer was down.

"Come on, we're almost home free!" cried Yoh.

Sakura summoned the spirit of the Power Card. Upon her appearance the spirit of Power unleashed an invisible by palpable wave of power. Ryo when this wave washed over Ryo, he could feel his muscles bulging with newfound strength. "Alright!" said Ryo.

With this newfound strength, Ryo met a muscular ringer's charge. With a burst of strength, Ryo pushed back his opponent, causing him to momentarily stumble backwards. With a mighty swing, Ryo brought his sword across the man's chest. Having been cut down, the force of Ryo's attack propelled him back into the sand. Ryo regroup with Yoh, who had just downed another enemy in a neighbouring battle. "Woohoo, this new power rocks! Where was Sakura when we were taking on Hao?"

Al spotted other soldiers coming in from the unwatched flanks of his group. He clapped his ground and placed on the ground to invoke alchemic energy. The sandy surface of the desert suddenly turned extremely wet under the reinforcements' foot. They sank into the quicksand, unable to climb out and resume pursuit. One of the female ringers attempted to climb out, a move that only worsened her predicament. Her movement caused her to sink even deeper into the quicksand, which now reached the height of her breasts.

One of the other ringers created a gust of wind, shooting herself out of the quicksand like a popped cork. Al was surprised by this bold move from the female ringer. As she landed on the ground, a stone pillar suddenly blasted out from the sand! It threw her into the air, but predictably, she came back to Earth in the roughest way possible. The impact of the fall had knocked her out and left her lying in a heap. "Let's go, Al, we're heading home," urged Ed.

Despite attempts by the enemy to halt their retreat, the team weathered the onslaught. They returned to the Amestrian camp where they reported the outcome of their mission. Although the team had not destroyed every barracks, they managed to knock out at least one apiece before the enemy sounded the alarm. The team had injured and killed a few more during their escape. "So you see, Fuhrer King Bradley, we did a lot of damage to the enemy. It will be easy for the military to retake East City now," reported Ed.

Bradley was quite pleased with this report. "Excellent, Fullmetal! We can take the city any time we want, but I'm not going to cut any corners. You and the Valiance team will raid their supply lines to weaken East City further."

During one night in the supply line disruption campaign, a Council supply convoy burst into magical flame as a mighty spell was invoked upon it. The angelic spirit of flame danced about as she incinerated every morsel of food in the trucks. Two nights later, yet another supply convoy secretly attempted to reach East City. A faint crackle of electricity went unheard in the desert. A stone spike burst out of the ground, impaling the escort car at the point position of the convoy. The car landed on the ground upside-down in such a way that it blocked the convoy's path.

As the convoy attempted to compensate, Duskmon landed on the rear escort car. The roof gave out under his feet to the crunching sound of metal being twisted out of shape. As the soldiers fled, Duskmon sent negative energy rays blindly in both opposite directions, felling the men before they could get very far. The other soldiers manoeuvred to return fire upon Duskmon when the ground suddenly gave out underneath. A pit of quicksand had formed underfoot, trapping the vehicles within them. No matter how they tried, the drivers couldn't drive the vehicles out.

Ryo descended onto the driver's cabin of a trapped supply truck. He shattered the windshield and grabbed the driver, hurling him rudely onto the desert sand. Rather than fight him, the driver decided it would be best to run. Eventually, all of the soldiers were injured, killed, or had fled. Ed removed the quicksand, turning it into an asphalt road before climbing onto the back of the truck. "Okay Ryo, we can go whenever you want," informed Ed.

Ryo climbed into a truck through its broken windshield. With the abandoned key in the ignition, Ryo started the engine and drove it out of the pit. Within a few minutes, the Amestrian raiders had returned to base in the stolen trucks. Ed waved a white flag from the top of Ryo's truck, signalling to the Amestrian soldiers that they were non-hostile. King Bradley left his tent to check up on the commotion. "Welcome back Fullmetal! It looks like your mission was a great success. You even managed to capture the enemy's supplies!"

"Oh yeah, Fuhrer King Bradley. With our new supplies coming in and the ones we captured, it should be easy to retake East City," reported Ed.

"Good work, Fullmetal," complimented Bradley. "I believe we can attack the city directly within the next week. However, I'm taking your team off of the frontlines. I think you've done more than enough already. It's our turn now. Just sit back and watch the show."

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, the Amestrians prepared for their attack on East City. The Outlaw Star made several passes over the city to gather intelligence on troop movements and activities. When the attack finally came, hundreds of Amestrian soldiers descended on the city. Their guns banged and filled the air with smoke and gunpowder. Bullets rained on the forces of the Council, weakened by raids and supply disruptions. One by one, the Ishbalans dropped to the ground riddled by Amestrian fire. The men spotted an Omnipotence ringer and proceeded to gun him down effortlessly. 

In the sky, the Outlaw Star continued its passes above East City. On one of these passes, Jim took a snapshot of the buildings below. After taking a look at the layout, Jim started to notice some odd patterns of red light. He stared at the layout of the city for several seconds trying to make heads or tails of the image. He started to notice a pattern among certain lines within the city. They seemed to form some sort of mystical symbol, but since he wasn't familiar with magic, he didn't understand what it meant.

However, Jim could not shake the feeling that what he was seeing was extremely important. "Edward Elric, could you please come to the bridge?"

"What is it?" asked Ed as he entered the Outlaw Star's bridge.

"Check out this picture," said Jim pointing to an image of the city. "Don't these lines make a strange symbol?"

Ed watched as Jim traced out the lines with the Outlaw Star's computers. When saw what they created, his jaw dropped. "Jim, get me the Fuhrer quickly!" Jim hit some buttons, giving Ed a direct line to Bradley, who addressed the call.

"Why what's going on?" asked Bradley from the other end.

"It's a trap! They're going to sacrifice the military to make a Philosopher's Stone!" warned Ed. "Call off the attack!"

"Sensors detect a large energy build-up around East City," reported Melfina.

"What's going on down there?" asked Gene as he watched the alchemic symbol glow around East City in crimson.

"Hurry, they're starting the transmutation!" cried Ed.

Bradley, ran out of his tent and could see the crimson glow faintly in the distance. "Issue a full retreat to our troops immediately, top priority!" he ordered to a subordinate.

The radio operators scrambled to issue Bradley's order as a top priority. The Amestrian soldiers turned tail and ran back out of the city as quickly as they could. East City became alit in a brightening crimson light which washed over the streets and alleys. Terrified citizens began to flee their homes without regard for the fighting in the streets. While many escaped, many failed to get away in time. The crimson light washed over Amestrian and Ishbalan alike with mindless indiscrimination.

All that the light touched were wiped out instantly. "Dammit!" cursed Ed. "Gene, keep the Outlaw Star in the air. They're going to try to sneak the stone out of the city. We have to keep watch so that doesn't happen."

"Roger," said Gene.

Back on the ground, the Amestrian military began to reorganize themselves after severe losses to the enemy's trap. Amestris had lost nearly a third of its forces to the Council trap. That count didn't measure the deaths among East City civilians and the Council's own occupiers. When the military entered the city to investigate, they found a virtual ghost town. Everything was eerily silent. No guns were being fired and no one moving about in the city. In fact, the trap didn't leave a single body for the military to bury. Everyone was gone in an instant, the city completely stripped clean of life.

Despite the silence, Bradley and the Amestrian forces couldn't help but feel horrified. It was just like the incident in Lior. Omnipotence had not only sacrificed Amestrian troops, but the civilians of East City and even their own men. Such an act came from a ruthlessness and callousness that bordered on the inhuman. Suddenly, the Council's ban on leaving East City made horrible, perverse sense. Ed, Al, and Winry where slack-jawed in horror as they viewed the vacant city in the Outlaw Star's monitors.

"They're gone. Everyone's gone," said Winry, still in shock.

"All that, just to create a Philosopher's Stone?" asked Ed rhetorically.

"Ed, what's so important about this Philosopher's Stone?" asked Yoh, unaware of this object's great power.

"The Philosopher's Stone enhances an alchemist's power," informed Al. "It lets alchemists get around alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange."

"Equivalent exchange?" asked Yoh.

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return," replied Al. "To obtain, something of equal value must be lost."

"In order to make a Philosopher's Stone, you need to sacrifice human lives... the more the better," said Ed. "They basically traded away the lives of the people in East City for the stone's power."

"What monsters!" decried Filia. "How blasphemous!"

"If they're going to smoosh all of our worlds together, they would need a lot of energy," said Yolei. "So, this is how they decided to get it."

Despite such a heinous act, however, hope was not lost. Omnipotence still needed to somehow smuggle the stone out of the city. Since the stone was a source of great power, it was extremely difficult to conceal it without triggering the Outlaw Star's sensors. The Outlaw Star tirelessly patrolled the deserts hoping to catch Omnipotence in the act. It seemed quite fruitless until Gene detected a brief, but unknown energy signature somewhere in the southeast of East City in the desert. It didn't match any known energy sources in the Outlaw Star's databases.

"Hmm, I found something, but it's very faint..." remarked Gene. "Jim, put up an image of the area."

Jim displayed the image of a vacant desert of the area. There wasn't anything of note, until Melfina spotted what seemed to be an unusual, out-of-place flicker of light. "A flicker of light?" asked Melfina.

Jim pondered what that could mean before coming up with an idea. "Preparing a jammer salvo," he reported.

He launched the jammer bombs into the desert. Upon impacting the sand, the area arced with electricity. Suddenly, a convoy of camouflaged vehicles materialized in the desert! One of the vehicles had a cloth canvas on the back covering an unknown object. It appeared to be a boulder due to the rounded shape underneath the cloth. "Sensors detect one truck escorted by ten armed jeeps," reported Melfina. "Detecting a strong, but unknown energy signature originating from the truck."

"Bingo," said Gene. "Time for action! Melfina, call the others."

The Outlaw Star opened fire on the convoy, beginning with the escort jeep in the rear. The blue energy beam seared through the vehicle in a single shot, reducing it into a flaming wreck. By now, the convoy knew they had been detected. They began to manoeuvre to avoid the Outlaw Star while returning fire. The Outlaw Star fired a second beam and then a third, incinerating the two of the jeeps that flanked the truck. The Outlaw Star fired one final beam, totalling the last jeep, leaving the truck exposed.

Koichi's voice came over the radio. "Thanks guys, we can take over from here."

The Valiance strike team descended out of the Outlaw Star's door and advanced upon the convoy. The Elric brothers clapped hands and touched the ground. The sand turned into a pit of slurry underneath the convoy's tires. Despite the drivers' attempted to break through, their vehicles were trapped. Duskmon suddenly appeared on top of the stone's truck. He ripped through the cabin's roof, pulled out the men, and tossed them onto the sand. The brothers Elric pulled off the camouflage canopy and saw the bright red jewel underneath.

Ed and Al could feel the power emanating from the jewel. "Yep, this is it," remarked Ed. He transmuted the quicksand back into regular sand to allow it to be driven out. "Ryo, let's take this one home."

Ryo hopped into the cabin and drove the truck back to the camp. The enemy realized that their truck had been hijacked and gave pursuit. As the bullets and energy bolts zinged by, the Outlaw Star returned fire from the sky. In the rear view mirror, enemy vehicles burst into flames as energy beams descended onto them. The enemy eventually lost track of the truck, allowing Ryo a calm ride back home. Upon returning to the Amestrian camp, Bradley came out to greet Ed, who jumped off the trailer to greet him in exchange.

"This is one Philosopher's Stone they won't be using, I can guarantee you that," said Ed.

"Good work, Fullmetal!" said Bradley.

Valiance's success with the stone was the turning point in the war against the Council's occupation. After securing the Philosopher's Stone, Valiance had also dealt a severe blow to Acme's plans. At worst, they had severely set Acme back. At best, they had thwarted his plan completely, leaving only Acme's capture the only thing left to be done. Amestris' military pushed eastward, directly into the Council's base of power in Ishbal. Forging an alliance with various resistance groups, the Amestrian military were free to onto the capital itself without interference by them.

The capital burned as the military swept through the city. The military's advance eventually pushed enemy troops into the Council's meeting house. "Okay, our forces will draw out the enemy in the front of the building. Your troops will enter from the rear and take the building," said Colonel Mustang to an Ishbalan rebel.

"Yes sir," replied the rebel.

The two sides put their plan into motion. Roy's men took up positions in buildings near the meeting house and fired at it from the windows. The Omnipotence soldiers returned fire from their windows. Roy snuck past the firefight and snapped his fingers. The air became alit with flame which travelled through to the meeting house. It entered the meeting house and sent the Council soldiers' uniforms on fire. They flailed about desperately trying to remove their burning uniforms. In the back, the rebels tore down a door and flooded inside.

An Omnipotence ringer walked forward to greet them, arcing electricity from her fingertips to electrocute one. The victim fell onto the ground with electricity arcing throughout his body. The rebels took cover behind furniture to returned fire, unable to penetrate her electromagnetic barrier. The rebels kept the pressure on until one hurled a grenade behind a table. It exploded, sending the ringer crashing into the ground. The rebels swept through the building, gunning down any Council loyalists or Omnipotence ringers. When they reached the roof, they tore down the Council's flag to cheers.

* * *

Ross continued his crackdown on Omnipotence money laundering. Although Omnipotence had to have been doing so to feed money to its agents and its coffers, the deaths of key individuals in the ring rendered any investigation impossible. Now that Tails had found a way to neutralize the suicide devices, he had been able to capture Omnipotence agents for questioning. In particular, the kidnappers in Aegypt were paid through the laundering network to kidnap Ryo Bakura and seize his Millennium Ring for Acme's scheme. 

However, Ross was able to intervene in the kidnapping, rescuing Bakura and arresting the agents. With these agents' capture, he was finally able to open an investigation into Omnipotence's money laundering. Their investigation led them to a version of Panama City in Tarota and one Alan McCarthy. McCarthy had started up several shell holding corporations to pass laundered money as salaries to the kidnappers and other agents. All of these shell corporatations acquired laundered money as loans from the Tooniverse bank with junk collateral and defaulted on the loans.

Now, the team was questioning a whistleblower from the Tooniverse Bank on the defaulted loans. "Yes, Mr. Syllabus, we've had quite a few loans in which the debtor defaulted on us," said a a Tooniverse Bank accountant. "Our bank had been insolvent for the last few months because of so many bad loans."

Ross gave a cursory glance over the listing of loans in the Tooniverse bank. Predictably, he found McCarthy Holdings as one of the several agencies McCarthy owned which took and defaulted on loans. Only one other corporation stood out from the rest, Penhold Holdings. Ross began to realize just how deep the scheme ran. "Hmm, Penhold Holdings? They were involved in selling classified secrets to Omnipotence," mumbled Ross, who then turned to address the whistleblower. "Yes, these companies were using the money to sponsor terrorists."

"Wow, I never knew that it was that bad," remarked the whistleblower.

"Still, why hasn't your bank been closed down sooner?" asked Ross. "Tooniverse's insolvency should have sounded alarms in the regulatory commission."

"Yeah, but Acme had deregulated banking," said the whistleblower. "We don't have to report insolvency, nor does the regulatory commission have to close us down."

"Just great," said Ross exasperated. "When did he do that?"

"Right after he took office," replied the whistleblower. "Our president, Jimmy, even pulled money from his bank despite my objections. I warned him that we were in deep shit, and that he shouldn't do it, but he didn't listen to me. When Mickey Mouse took over, he reregulated the banks and we've been closed down and I'm out of a job."

"Thank you, Mr. Graves, you've given a lot of useful information," said Ross, who shook the whistleblower's hand. "With your help, we can put these crooks behind bars."

Just as he was about to leave, he received a call from Naomi. "Ross, I've got good news, we've just tracked down Jimmy Siegel to a lot outside of Los Angeles in the Human World. I'm sending coordinates to you right now. Join us when you can."

"Of course, I'll be there," assured Ross.

Near Los Angeles in the Human World, Armitage, the witch hunters, and several police officers sped down the highway. Their sirens blared loudly as the red lights flickered around in a circle. As the cars sped past several trees, they found a pair of spaceships resting on the grass beyond the side of the road. The police skid their cars to stop and took cover behind their open doors. Jimmy's associates fired at the police from door of the space craft, to which the police responded by doing the same. Bullets and bolts of energy sailed back and forth between the sides.

As the two sides battled, Jimmy's men began to fall to the firepower of the police. One of the ships suddenly took off, blowing a huge gust of wind across the field. The police took cover from the dirt and grass blown up by the fierce winds. Naomi followed SWAT officers as they fought their way into the ship, gunning down any men who attempted to halt their entry. After searching the ship, Naomi exited to report their findings. "Jimmy's not in this one. He must have taken off in the other one."

In outer space, the fleeing ship had made escape velocity. Just when it seemed like they would get away, something approached them. "Sir, detecting an unknown object approaching our vessel rapidly. Its signature identifies it as the Bebop. It has launched a pair of fighter ships to intercept us."

"Get into hyperspace immediately," ordered a Human World man in his forties. "We can't let them get us!"

"Too late, the fighters are launching missiles at our vessel! Brace for impact in five... four... three... two... one..."

The missiles impacted Jimmy Siegel's ship, causing it to shudder violently. They released a powerful electromagnetic charge into the ship, which manifested as arcing electricity. "Sir, we've been hit by an EM weapon. Shit! Our hyperspace drive is out of commission!"

"Evasive manoeuvres!" cried Jimmy.

Another missile impacted the ship, shaking its crew. "Damn! Main engines are out!" reported the helm.

Yet another impacted the ship, shorting out its weapon systems. Jimmy contemplated what to do, but his crew took that decision from his hands. "Dammit! We won't go down like this. They won't get us alive!"

Jimmy rushed for the self-destruct controls but was met by his first officer at gun point. "No sir, you will not be doing that."

"Damn, you're betraying me, Smith?"

"No, I've decided that I'm not risking my life to save your neck. Comm officer, tell the Bebop we surrender. Lower our defences and let them board."

"Don't listen to him. Chang, self-destruct the ship!"

The Asian turned to Jimmy and shook his head. Jimmy was furious. "I am not going down you. You can't pay me enough to do that!"

Within moments, a Valiance drop ship descended upon the ship. The Valiance's soldiers arrested the crew of Jimmy Siegel's ship along with the man himself. Once safely on board, Jet radioed Ross. "Ross, we've got Jimmy Siegel safely in our cargo hold. We're landing on Earth to deliver him to you."

"Roger that, Jet. Good work," replied Ross.

Later on, Ross began to question Jimmy Siegel, owner of Tooniverse Bank, intently on his involvement in Omnipotence money laundering. "Interesting, so you say you and Jeremy Dean had an arrangement going on?"

"Yeah, he would lose all of his arms dealing money while gambling in my casinos."

"Like the ones in Vegas, of the Human World?" asked Ross.

"Yeah, I would cut him a check for his earnings. Sometimes he wins big."

Now that Siegel had told him that, Ross now had a good idea how Omnipotence's money laundering worked. Arms runners and dealers like Jeremy Dean would earn money selling weapons stolen from various places. Since such money would draw attention, Dean gambled it away, bit by bit, to casino owners with criminal ties like Siegel. Siegel would then put the money in his bank, without drawing any suspicion since it was money earned through the casino. He would also write a check to pay Dean, passing it off as wages, bonuses, and even as casino winnings.

However, Acme had deregulated the banks in the Tooniverse, making it easier to perpetuate Omnipotence's money laundering network. While in the bank, allies in finance like McCarthy would form shell corporations in tax havens. Through these shell corporations, they took loans from banks in the Tooniverse with junk as collateral. These shell corporations ultimately defaulted on these loans without any consequence due to deregulation. The financiers pass the money as wages to agents who then carry out bombings, assassinations, espionage, and other acts needed by Omnipotence.

"Okay, thank you Mr. Siegel. No more questions for today," said Ross.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None

Spotlight: Megaman NT Warrior

Megaman NT Warrior follows the life of Lan Hikari, a boy from Dentech City. In the world he lives in, computers are present in every facet of life from home appliances to vehicles. As a result, the people of Digitopia world were plagued by virus attacks by various hacker, criminal, and terrorist groups. Net Battling, or fighting viruses with AI software called Navis, was a necessity to survive the modern world. In fact, these problems were so bad that governmental agencies licensed civilians known as Netsabres just to deal with it.

Origin:  
Lan learned how to be a skilled Netbattler from attending classes in his elementary school, as did his circle of friends. In his world, teachers instruct their students on how to resist virus attacks with their Navis. Lan had such a natural talent that he even won some local Netbattling tournaments and became a Netsabre. Mayl is not as skilled as Lan, but she is still a formidable Netbattler.

Powers:  
Science rules supreme in Digitopia. There are no other power types here. Digitopia has advanced to the point where nearly everything has a computer in it. The Digitopians have even raised AI to such an extent that they are everywhere, such as a Netbattler's Navi. These people have made their very first steps into space and thus have only a minimal presence in that venue.


	28. Fall of the Abh Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Fall of the Abh Story, part 3: End of an Empire **

Once the Toons withdrew from El Hazard, they took all of their ships and troops stationed there. Now, only a small handful of Abh ships remained in the area. With the civil war raging in the Blue Stars, the Abh insurgent forces could not afford to keep as many ships to defend the planet. Knowing this, a Valiance space fleet descended on the area. The Abh ships sprang into action, firing upon the Valiance raiders. Valiance M1 Astrays burst out of the hangar of the Crimson Egg to meet the enemy.

They circled one of the Abh ships and pelted it with beam gun fire. The Abh ship returned fire, unable to hit the more evasive, manoeuvrable mobile suits. The Abh ship launched a nuclear warhead at the Crimson Egg. It exploded upon hitting the shielding, causing the ship to shudder. Fortunately, that shielding absorbed the brunt of the impact. The Crimson Egg retaliated with its beam cannons. The beam hit accurately, but was absorbed by the Abh ship's shielding. More beams impacted the shielding until they collapsed under the stress.

The battle was over swiftly and Valiance controlled space. "Ma'am, all enemy ships have been destroyed," reported Dr. Eggman.

Misato listened to Dr. Eggman's report from her quarters. "Good work. Deploy all ground forces at the designated location."

The Crimson Egg and its fleet entered orbit around El Hazard. Dozens of smaller ships and pods descended towards the sandy surface of El Hazard. On the ground, the resistance had already begun its attack on the Abh and Omnipotence occupiers. Thousands of Bugrom and Roshtarian soldiers marched on the capital of Roshtaria, Florestica. Bolts of light streaked through the air from Abh and Omnipotence energy guns. The enemy had positioned itself within several buildings in the Roshtarian capital. While they had the advantage in weapons, the rebels had the advantage in sheer numbers.

The enemy fired on a Bugrom squad, felling it easily through sheer firepower. A Roshtarian soldier troop swarmed an Abh firing squad and stabbed the men to death. The screams and cries of war echoed throughout the city. The rebel forces had entered the city and taken positions in the suburbs. The enemy line kept the rebel forces at bay in the eastern district with neither side able to gain more ground. Florestica burned and smoke billowed from its formerly pristine homes. In the sky, several shooting stars soared across the sky. 

"Look, our allies has arrived!" cried one soldier. 

The sight of Valiance drop ships sent a surge of high morale rippling through the rebel ranks. Over the horizon, the first glimpses of the Valiance army appeared over the sandy dunes. The rebels redoubled their attack, grinding against the enemy line. Arrows soared out of a restaurant and at a coffee shop across the street. Abh and Omnipotence soldiers returned fire, scorching the side of the restaurant. An arrow caught the body of an Abh who peeked out to fire from the second story window. The Abh landed on the ground with a thud.

Faust made his way to the coffee shop. The enemy opened fire but were unable to penetrate the barriers of bone around his body. Faust hurled balls of bone into the windows. One zinged by a soldier's head as it landed inside. The soldier peeked out to return fire, unaware that the balls were unfolding into animate skeletons. When the man finally noticed the sound of rattling bones, it was too late. Outside, Faust could only hear several terrified screams coming from inside. The skeletons casually walked out and escorted Faust deeper into Florestica.

Valiance's heroes and soldiers were the ones who turned the tide of the battle. Over the next three hours, the combined rebel-Valiance forces pushed deeper into Florestica. Soon, they had cornered the last of the Abh and Omnipotence forces within the royal castle. The enemy fired down on the liberators from the castle ramparts. Trunks descended on the ramparts, drawing enemy fire to him.

He sidestepped the shots so quickly that a faint contrail was the only sign that he had moved at all. He closed distance on the enemy and kicked one off of the ramparts. Another tried to shoot at him, but he dodged again. He fired a ki beam which hurled him into side of a tower. More men tried to shoot him, but he was still too fast. Trunk closed the distance and demolished their ranks with rapid-fire martial arts moves.

Down below, the assembled Bugrom and Roshtarians pummelled the gate with a battering ram. The thick, log-like tool slammed into the door with a thud. Cracks began to form on the gate as it wore down under the strain. After a final slam, the gate burst open. Hundreds of Bugrom and Roshtarians flooded into the palace grounds. The enemy took positions to meet them, starting a chaotic firefight and melee.

The bodies of both sides began to pile up in the courtyard, but the enemy's were greater in number. The Bugrom and Roshtarian forces pushed deeper into the castle ramparts. There were already several bodies lying around from the efforts of Trunks and other heroes. At the highest point, the soldiers raised the flag of Roshtaria, a golden, abstract picture of the imperial palace on a white background. The wind picked up and the flag fluttered with the ebb and flow of air.

* * *

Within moments after liberating El Hazard, Valiance immediately turned their attention to the Great Blue. This world of high seas adventure had already seen its share of turmoil. The Eye of God had devastated one of its most important islands, the seat of the World Government. Very little was left after that attack. All that remained was a massive crater. After the Abh landed and took over, they caused even more harm through repression.

The Abh had set up their main headquarters in Enies Lobby, which neighboured the great town of Water 7. This town was like the Great Blue's version of Venice, Italy. Several canals ran through this colourful city, designed to be like a gigantic fountain. Canals ran around the centre in concentric rings. At certain points, water flowed down the side to a lower level like a waterfall. The inhabitants traversed in creatures known as "Bulls," seahorses which were attached to boats.

After wiping out the Abh presence in space, Valiance was able to drop troops onto the city. Like flaming meteors, the drop ships descended onto the city with a loud thud. Abh soldiers rushed to meet the pods and neutralize whatever emerged from them. Positioned in buildings and behind cover along streets, the Abh pelted the drop ships with energy fire. The ships in turn fired back on the Abh with their cannons. Under the cover of their ship's fire, soldiers rushed out to meet enemy troops.

Naga led a squad of Saillune troops out of her drop ship. She and her fellow priests and priestesses shielded their advance with barriers of white magic. Unable to penetrate these barriers, the enemy troops were swarmed by the Saillune troops. Magicians prepared powerful spells and hurled them into the window on the second floor of a bakery. The spells exploded with a deafening boom, wiping out all who were hiding inside. Naga flung a Freeze Blitz which froze solid half a dozen enemy soldiers in a single blow.

The Valiance forces swept through the city, wiping out Abh forces each step of the way. Luffy hurled an Abh into a building. At the same time, Zolo cut down three more. Luffy heard an explosion come from nearby. When he and Zolo went to investigate, they found a huge man fighting Abh in the neighbouring street. The blue-haired man wore swimming briefs, a Hawaiian shirt, and a pair of sunglasses above his eyes. He was somewhat hairy and was quite muscular. The man pulled off his arm, revealing a gun's muzzle underneath. A blast of pressurized air burst out, flattening a squad of Abh.

"Franky?" asked Luffy.

"Hey hey Luffy, am I glad to see you!" replied Franky, breaking out in to joyous dance. "Once these guys took over the town, I thought you might show up soon. When the fighting started, me and the family decided to join in on the fun." 

"Oh yeah! So does this mean you're going to help us?" asked Luffy.

"Yep, I've got your back. Lead the way," said Franky.

Luffy led the Straw Hat Pirates down the streets of Water 7 with new ally Franky close behind. Their goal was the Sea Train, a special railway which ran over the surface of the ocean to Enies Lobby. The Sea Train was of tactical importance to the Valiance forces. Water 7 was to serve as a beachhead. Valiance command wanted the Sea Train to transport more troops into Enies Lobby.

As they rushed down the street, an Abh patrol bumped into them. Zolo slashed his sword with such force as hurl a shockwave of air. It cut down two of the men in a single stroke. Franky fired blasts of air into the men, flattening another in a single shot. From cover, Usopp picked off yet another two with his slingshot. Chopper transformed into a hulking, monstrous version of himself and waded into battle. He ripped a nearby railing and smashed it into the Abh.

After dispatching the last of the Abh, Nami put away her staff. She pointed at a station several metres down the street. "It's just up ahead!" cried Nami.

The group reached the Sea Train without any further attack by the Abh and stood guard around it. The explosions and gunshots became lest frequent, indicating that the fighting was dying down. When Valiance captured Water 7, Jinnai showed up to check on their status. "Ah so you've got the Sea Train intact, I see," remarked Jinnai.

"Yep, piece of cake!" said Luffy.

Several guards arrived to relieve the Straw Hat Pirates of their post. "Good work. We'll begin the attack on Enies Lobby in six hours. You're on break 'til then," said Jinnai.

The Straw Hat Pirates made a trip to the local bar, a typical mortar and wood pub filled with pirates and other seafarers. The floors and tables were made of wood and coated with finish for gloss. It was filled with Valiance soldiers on break. In the corner nearest the window, Lina Inverse wolfed down plates of food like the rest of her companions. They were the biggest slobs around with awful table manners to match. With each frantic bite they took, they would scatter bits of food all over the table and on anyone who came too close to them.

"Whoa, I didn't think anyone could love my cooking this much," said Sanji with eyes agape.

A noodle flew to neighbouring table nearly hitting Kagome in the eye. "Hey! That nearly hit me!" she cried to the other table.

"What a pig!" remarked Shippo. 

She held her empty plate to beg for food. "Mmm, more please!" requested Lina with a smile.

"Coming up!" said Sanji.

"Well, he's happy," said Zolo. Luffy laughed at the big plate of spaghetti in front of him. "...And so's the captain." Zolo looked around and saw Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, Franky, and some Franky Family members at his table. Sanji was busy cooking and serving food in the mess hall. Nami was the only one unaccounted for.

Nami met with Misato and General Jinnai. She had unrolled a map of the area she had created the last time she was at Enies Lobby. "This is where the Sea Train disembarks on Enies Lobby," said Nami, pointing to a marking dot. "There are three large gates on the way to the Navy's headquarters. One is the front door, just outside of the Sea Train station. The second is across the bridge and leads into the court. The third and final gate is after the Judicial Tower across a bridge."

"Ma'am, the enemy will likely have troops stationed around the Sea Train station and along the walls. If we send our troops through that way, they'll be sitting ducks for enemy fire," said Jinnai. "I recommend that we have the Crimson Egg begin bombarding the area around the Sea Train station. Following that, I'd like to send the Evas and a contingent of troops to secure the area as a beachhead." 

"Very well, begin the bombardment as soon as possible," ordered Misato.

In the space above the Great Blue, the Crimson Egg received the orders. Its cannons glowed with blue light and expelled beams of pure energy. They descended onto the enemy like a streak of light. To them, it must have seemed like divine retribution. The beam blasted a crater into the street, incinerating several soldiers. Another streaked down from the sky, tearing through a building. Despite having been fortified, Enies Lobby shuddered violently. A third beam descended from the sky, searing its way through an office.

The bombardments cleared the area and destroyed the first gate. A group of drop ships descended from Valiance's fleet. When these ships landed, the Evas emerged from three of them and armed themselves for battle. Asuka in Unit 02 split away from the main group and moved towards the middle gate of Enies Lobby. The Abh on the ramparts opened fire while Omnipotence supersoldiers flew into the sky and fired elemental blasts.

These puny attacks were ineffective versus an Eva. Unfazed, Unit 02 swept its hand across the ramparts, clearing it entirely of Abh. It began to pound the gate, causing a small dent to form on the steel doors. Unit 02 threw another punch and another, deepening the impression in the door. Eventually, Unit 02 broke a hole through the doors. It got a good hold and tore the door out of its hinges. It grabbed the remaining door and did the same to it.

Using the remains of the doors, Unit 02 constructed crude new bridges beside the central one which led to the gate. Unit 02 advanced into the city and fired its beam rifle at an M1 Astray. The beam melted a hole straight through the mobile suit. Unit 01 took its comrade's flank, firing a machine gun at enemy forces. Within a few hours, the Evas had cleaned out defences along the second wall.

The Sea Train arrived, carrying its first batch of Valiance foot soldiers. More ships descended from the sky depositing yet more soldiers and supplies for operations in Enies Lobby. The Straw Hat emerged from the Sea Train. "Hmm, just like old times, eh Franky?" asked Zolo.

"Yep, this place brings back some wonderful memories," said Franky with tear-filled eyes.

"Hey, no need to get all emotional," said Zolo. "We're just here to clean out some squatters. That's all."

"This is an important place for me too... For all of us," said Luffy.

"Hey, don't tell me you're getting soft on me too!" said Zolo.

"No, don't you get it?" asked Nami. "This is where they took Robin. She called to us as friends. She said she wanted to live and go sailing around the world with us."

"Oh yeah," said Zolo. "Yeah... I'll never forget that. It's too bad she was on vacation from filming."

The Straw Hat Pirates looked upon Enies Lobby and remembered how they stormed this island to rescue Robin from the World Government. Her captors made a Buster Call on the island, an order to annihilate everything on the island. Despite the damage caused, the World Government was able to rebuild the place quickly. The Abh had claimed the place, using it as their seat of power on Great Blue. Now, the Straw Hats were back to repeat their earlier raid.

The battle continued along the city as Valiance forces pushed further towards the Navy Headquarters. With the second gate open, Valiance soldiers were free to storm the courthouse of Enies Lobby. Saillune and Zaibach troops poured through the gate as Abh troops concentrated fire to stem the tide. Zaibach troops returned fire with Chlima guns while Saillune spell casters dropped fire-based spells to ignite the Chlima. Despite the raging flames, the Abh held their positions.

Omnipotence supersoldiers entered the field through the sky, raining blasts of energy down from their hands. The energy exploded upon striking the ground, flattening a line of Saillune soldiers. Zaibach soldiers re-aimed upwards filling the sky with bolts of silver. A supersoldier aimed a beam at Gourry, who blocked the move with his sword. He swung his weapon unleashing a magical shockwave. It took the supersoldier out of the sky in one shot.

Gourry continued fighting unaware of a sniper aiming at him from a window. Gourry felt a blast of wind soar past the back of his head. It went up to the sniper's window cut him down. The sniper tumbled out of the window and landed on the ground with a thud. Gourry turned to gaze at Zolo. After a few seconds of silent, but mutual respect, Zolo beamed a smile at him. "I guess that's makes us even now..."

"Yep, it sure does," said Gourry, who spotted more enemy soldiers approaching the area.

Apparently, Zolo had spotted them also. "I call dibs on the scruffy guy!"

"You wish!" said Gourry as the two of them charged at the enemy group.

While Gourry and Zolo dealt with the reinforcements, Valiance heroes began to enter the courthouse. Shayla Shayla blasted the barricaded doors of the building down. Dozens energy bolts soared out as soon as the doors went down. Magicians hurled mighty spells into any openings to clear out the hidden enemy forces. Archer lobbed arrows into the ranks of enemy gunners. The Abh line fell and Valiance advanced to deliver the death blow.

The Evas set up positions across the chasm from the Navy Headquarters. Rei sent beam of energy at a barricaded office building. It exposed a previously invisible energy barrier. She sent two more shots to the building, causing the barrier to spark and short out. Rei fired again, searing a hole through the building. The building eventually collapsed, becoming useless as a sniper nest.

Within hours, the forces of Valiance controlled the courthouse and the Judicial Tower. The only thing left was to advance across the bridge through the Judicial Tower to the Navy Headquarters. During the fight for the Judicial Tower, the enemy had destroyed the only bridge connecting it to the Navy Headquarters. With no land access available to Valiance, they went the only other way available to them, by air.

To keep the enemy off balance, the Evas bombarded the other side every chance they got. Their beams soared over the chasm, illuminating the air like bolts of lightning. The Crimson Egg joined in, raining energy like columns of light. When the area was sufficiently quiet, drop ships descended onto the last section of Enies Lobby. "Oh yeah, we're gonna win this!" said Luffy, elated at how much progress his side was making in battle.

"Calm down. We still haven't won yet," said Zolo.

"We're getting close. I can feel it," said Usopp.

The Straw Hats' ship landed in the middle of a deserted street. The bombardment had put several craters into the streets. Most of the buildings had collapsed from the attacks. In the distance, the Straw Hats could see a white brick and mortar building over the horizon. It was marked with the word "Navy." It was now the headquarters of the Abh and survived the bombardment due to some sort of shielding.

Valiance forces began to take a beachhead on this last stretch of land. Bolts of Chlima soared through the air, only to be met with similar bolts of energy from the enemy. A fiery explosion resounded in the distance from a powerful spell by Saillune army wizard. The Straw Hats followed the advance through the city. Upon reaching the third intersection, they ran afoul of a squad of Omnipotence supersoldiers.

The men fired at the Straw Hats from the sky, knocking Luffy to the ground with their first strike. However, Luffy recovered quickly from the blow while the others prepared for a war. Zolo flung air blades through the sky. The supersoldiers scattered and returned fire. The Straw Hats scattered to avoid the enemy's attack. Usopp peeked out from cover and let loose stones from his slingshot.

He scored a hit to a man's temple, knocking him headfirst out of the sky. "Yeah I got one!" he cheered.

Nami fiddled with her Clima Tact. It produced a storm cloud which blasted lightning down on the supersoldiers from above. They scattered to evade the lightning. One of them fired an energy bolt which pierced through Nami harmlessly. She vanished, revealing it to be only an illusion. Another lightning bolt descended onto the supersoldier. He screamed in agony as millions of volts of electricity surged through his body. He crashed to the ground with a resounding thud that blew up a moderately sized cloud of dirt.

In the meantime, Valiance troops had the enemy pinned down in the Navy headquarters. From the windows, Abh soldiers returned fire at the Valiance soldiers in the surrounding buildings. A bolt of Chlima pierced an Abh's armoured vest fatally. The Abh tumbled out of the window and hit the ground below. A bolt of flame seared through an Abh's chest. A fireball exploded at the highest floor of the Navy's Headquarters. It tore a massive hole through the facade and a few floors.

The explosion also dislodged a flagpole and ignited the flag. This flag had a cross-like jack on a white background. It was the flag of the World Government. As it fell to the ground, the flames spread rapidly until it was ash. Valiance forces blasted the front door down and stormed the building. Soldiers screamed, swords clashed, and shots rang through out the lobby. Abh and Omnipotence forces fell one by one until none were left. Valiance had taken Enies Lobby.

* * *

Some time after the capture of Enies Lobby, hundreds of Imperial Abh battle cruisers gathered at Volbeirunei naval base. It was the largest of the former Abh Empire's space bases. The mood was tense as the Abh prepared for their greatest battle in several years, the reclamation of their capital. Chimera had stationed hundreds of Abh ships at the capital to defend it from attack. The battle was not going to be easy.

In one of the Basroil's briefing rooms, Lafiel described the plan of attack to Valiance heroes. "The Basroil will lead the second wave of the attack. When the first wave clears a path to the capital we and the drop ships will deposit armed soldiers to storm the capital. You will be leading the charge. Find Chimera and take him out. We will provide you maps of the capital so you can plan your attack."

"Okay, understood," said Trunks.

Within minutes, the Imperials advanced on Lakfakalle. Hundreds of gateways opened into the hyperspace dimension. The world seemed to be covered in a strange green light. After an hour of travel, the ships emerged in the space near a gigantic crystalline space station. It looked almost like a star that had been frozen over. Its spokes and spires reflected hues of blue and white.

Hundreds of enemy ships were stationed around Lakfakalle, the Abh capital. Upon entering the area, the enemy immediately moved to intercept. Beams of light soared across the darkness. Within moments, one of the enemy ships had been hit. Fire gushed out of the opening in the ships hull as interior work crews rushed to extinguish it. The same even repeated on the Imperial side, with one of its ships having a wing blown off.

One of the enemy ships launched a nuclear warhead. It struck and blew an Imperial ship in half. The Imperials launched warheads in retaliation, blowing up a line of enemy ships one by one. The enemy numbers began to dwindle as the Imperials forced their way through to the capital itself. When enemy ships came close enough to threaten it, Lakfakalle lit up with activity.

Dozens of energy beams soared from its defences, missing the Imperial vanguard. The Imperial ships launched nuclear warheads and the great Abh city shuddered with violent force. The Imperials continued to aim for Lakfakalle's defence systems, hoping to render the city helpless for boarding. More beams and nuclear warheads slammed into the base. Inside, a warhead exploded upon a gunner, consuming the man in a cloud of flame.

With Lakfakalle so weakened, the Basroil closed in on its docking bay. Inside, Abh troopers fired upon the ship as tried to dock. Trunks burst out and punched a soldier in the face. He fired a pair of ki blasts into two more guards, putting them flat on the ground. A guard attempted to pistol whip him, but Trunks disarmed him and hurled him into allies Judo-style. The guards fired on him but he dodged with preternatural speed. He closed the distance and struck with punches and kicks.

Sonic rushed into the battle with blinding speed. In the course of a second, he had knocked over two guards and was advancing on the third. Following him was Faust, who summoned several skeletons into being. Faust and his skeletons closed in on a group of guards. He cut them down with a scythe aglow in dark orange Furyoku. The skeletons swarmed Abh and pummelled them with their bony fists.

Morty smashed an Abh guard down with his hammer. Seeing reinforcements coming, Amelia hurled a fireball into the nearby hallway. "This way!" cried Trunks, rallying his team to battle. Trunks' team ran down the sterile metal hallways of Lakfakalle.

Outside, the fighting continued between Imperial and insurgent forces. Every few moments, the Abh capital would shudder as an explosive shockwave washed over it. They could hear the booms from Abh ships striking the capital's defences. The Imperials had the upper hand. Amelia looked behind and saw more Imperial ships landing elsewhere. At those docks, insurgent soldiers opened fire, forcing the Imperials to return fire. Inch by inch, the insurgents fell back.

Trunks' team passed through lengthy hallways on their way to the main city, which housed the living quarters. These buildings were higher tech versions of modern homes with whitewashed walls which reflected the light of an artificial sun. The people had largely evacuated the moment they realized Lakfakalle would come under attack. All that remained were Lakfakalle's insurgent guards, who had set up roadblocks and sniper points across the city.

The insurgent troops opened fire on Trunks' team as they advanced through the city. Shaoran raised the Shield Card in defence, as did Meilin. The guards energy shots were absorbed by the shield harmlessly. Shaoran summoned the Sand Card. A patch of quicksand formed under one of the guards and swallowed him until only his head was jutting out. 

Meilin downed another soldier with the energy projectiles of the Shot Card. She cloned herself with the Twin Card and sicced the copy on the others. She cast the Fight Card on her twin, giving her superior fighting skills. The Twin leapt from side to side, evading bullets and kicked the firing soldier in the head. More soldiers ran in to reinforce the battle.

"Oh great, more of them!" said Morty upon noticing them.

He slammed his hammer into the ground, hurling a trail of flame along the ground. It rushed into a group of soldiers and exploded, knocking all of them out. The soldiers returned fire. As Morty prepared to block, a shell of azure light surrounded his body. Morty gave a grateful nod to Meilin before charging into his attackers. Faust followed him in and grew bony a shell over his hammer. Morty's blows caused even more devastating harm with each strike. Morty clubbed an Abh over the head, cracking his helmet and knocking the man unconscious.

Faust cut down a soldier who attempted to blindside Morty. "Yeah, thanks for the support," said Morty to his friend.

"No problem. Hey look, the cavalry is coming in!" said Faust.

Faust pointed out several shots zinging back and forth from elsewhere in the city. The Abh Imperials were now in a heated firefight with the Omnipotence-backed insurgents. Trunks team renewed its attack, pressuring the enemy line. Trunks sidestepped enemy fire and closed in. He punched his attacker and delivered a knee to the stomach. He picked up the man and hurled him into his comrades. Shaoran cast the Fight Card on him, making him more devastating than ever. Trunks elbowed an incoming guard and tossed him at the others. All were flattened in one fell swoop.

"Commander Briefs, we'll take things from here," assured an Abh officer over his radio. "Go get Chimera."

"Roger that, keep us covered," said Trunks.

The Imperials troops intensified their fire, putting pressure on the insurgents. Trunks' team slipped through in the confusion and advanced deeper into the city behind enemy lines. In the distance, the team could see the great marble palace of the Abh Empress. It was a great building fit for a king, or in Ramaj's case, a queen. As the team approached the palace, they came face to face with Chimera's elite guard. While most were human, a few of the guards were Digimon, corrupted by the foul experiments performed on them by Omnipotence.

One of the Digimon, a Black Garurumon, pounced on Morty. The wolf Digimon knocked him on the ground and lunged forward to bite him while he was down. Morty held up his hammer in defence, blocking the werewolf's bite attempts. He ignited his hammer, forcing the wolf to back off. Morty rose to his feet and hurled a trail of flame along the ground. The Garurumon rolled out of the way. He threw another fire trail but the Garurumon dodged again. It sprayed a Howling Blaster which Morty was barely able to block. The icy breath forced him to inch back to relieve the pressure.

Meilin summoned the Firey Card and sicced it at the Garurumon. The fire spirit's flames scorched the wolf Digimon, halting the stream of ice. Morty hurled his hammer, nailing the Garurumon's head fatally. The Garurumon crumbled into black bits of data and vanished. Trunks pinned down a fire witch behind the pressure of a ki beam. Suddenly, a speeding Omnipotence supersoldier smacked him in the back of the head. As Trunks staggered forward, the witch ignited fire around him, staggering him backwards.

Shaoran summoned the Shadow Card along the ground. The speedster ran into the shadow which stuck to him and slowed him like molasses. Sonic zipped in and kicked the speedster in the head, knocking him out. Trunks released a burst of ki, smothering the flames with an exertion of power. He fired a ki beam which the witch was forced to stop with a fire barrier. Trunks turned up the intensity. She capitulated and the ki beam smashed her into a concrete wall.

"That's all of them," said Meilin. "Let's get the castle."

The group made it to the throne room and surrounded a lone Abh seated on Empress Ramaj's throne. The Abh was a man with a fair, elven complexion and long blue hair. He was very young despite possibly being far older than any of the heroes individually. The man had a circlet around his head which was like the crown of a prince of a king. This man had a smug smile on his face and was unconcerned about the presence of the heroes. The man rose from his throne to greet them.

"You must be Chimera," remarked Trunks. 

"That's right. I am Chimera, Emperor of the Abh," introduced the man.

"You're no Emperor," decried Amelia. "You stole the throne. Justice has come for you today!" 

"Ah but that's where you're wrong. You see, my boss has granted me powers no Abh could ever hope to have. Sure it's nice to king, but what's more thrilling is the power. Oh yes, the power! I will show you the power Omnipotence has given me." Chimera's face contorted and his body enlarged and ripped through his clothes. "Like..." Chimera burst through his clothes to the shock of the heroes. "This..." He keeled over onto all fours as his body became more muscular, like a lion's. A scorpion's tail emerged from his throbbing flesh as it turned a mangy beige colour. Chimera's hair turned brown, framing his sneering face.

"What the hell..." remarked Faust.

"Well, well, Valiance heroes, what do you think of me now?" asked Chimera. "Speechless aren't you? I'll make sure you stay that way!"

Chimera suddenly thrust his tail at the heroes. They scattered to avoid the venom-dripping stinger. Trunks got into position and fired a ki beam at Chimera. The blast hit and exploded on contact with Chimera, but he suffered nearly no harm. Chimera exhaled a jet of flame in retaliation, forcing Trunks to retreat. Chimera followed by lashing his tail forward, which Meilin blocked with the Shield Card. Morty closed in and smashed his hammer into Chimera's shoulder. Chimera gasped in pain and lashed his tail at Morty. Being slightly late in dodging, it slashed him down his chest.

Trunks fired a ki blast to lure Chimera away. Amelia pulled him out of the way began to use a Detoxify spell to remove the poison. Faust sicced half a dozen skeletons at Chimera which punched and grabbed him. Chimera shook off the skeletons and lashed his tail at one. The skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones. A patch of quicksand formed under his legs and trapped him. Chimera breathed fire at Shaoran, who raised the Shield Card in defence. He clawed out of the quicksand and lashed his tail at Trunks, knocking him to the ground.

"Man, this guy's strong!" remarked Trunks as Amelia tended to his wounds.

Sonic dashed into Chimera and kicked him in the face. "Grr... You little..."

Chimera lashed his tail but was too slow to hit the hedgehog. Sonic jumped onto Chimera's back began dropping punches onto Chimera's back. Chimera brought his tail down, but Sonic zipped away at the last moment. Chimera ended up stinging himself with his own tail, roaring out in pain upon realizing his mistake. Furious, he charged at Sonic to be caught within a tornado. Shaoran channelled energy into the Storm Card to keep Chimera trapped within the fierce winds. Meilin electrified the tornado with the Thunder Card, whose lightning arced painfully through Chimera.

Seemingly had enough, Chimera sprayed fire while turning in a circle. Amelia, Shaoran, and Meilin raised bubbles of protective light in defence. Faust and Morty raised their weapons to weather the onslaught under the protection of Furyoku. Sonic and Trunks scattered to avoid the flames. Chimera pounced into Amelia's group, causing the three of them to scatter. Amelia tripped while trying to get away and Chimera pinned her to the ground. He breathed fire on the downed priestess who desperately held up a barrier to defend herself.

Trunks fired a ki blast while Meilin fired the Shot Card. The attacks bore into Chimera's skin, forcing him to cut off the flames. Faust's skeleton's latched onto Chimera to pull him off of Amelia. Their attacks were able to push him down onto his side, allowing Amelia to escape. "Thanks guys, let's take him down!" said Amelia. 

She began chanting the words to a mighty spell while Chimera was still dazed. She unleashed the Ra-Tilt spell which exploded in a blaze of green light. Chimera yelped in pain. Trunks fired a ki blast which exploded on his leg, causing black blood to splatter onto the ground. Chimera roared in agony but managed to pull himself off of the ground. Morty sent a trail of flame burning along the ground which burst into a great conflagration upon striking Chimera. 

Chimera slumped onto his front legs, which were aching in pain and under to support his weight. "We've got him on the ropes," said Trunks. "Let's finish him."

Trunks fired a stream of ki at Chimera, causing him to yelp in agony. Amelia followed with a Ra-Tilt as did Morty with a trail of flames. Meilin ignited a fire on Chimera with Firey, which Shaoran fanned with the Storm's tornado. The combined attacks sent Chimera onto his side. He was heavily weakened and bleeding from the left side of his body. "Damn you!" he cursed as he tried to stand.

"One way or another, justice has come for you," said Amelia. "After what you have done, this was your only fate."

Chimera could feel a strange fire welling up within him strangely. His body began to glow red hot with excess power. "He he he," laughed Chimera. "It seems Paradox will do my work for me. Goodbye, fools!"

Chimera's body began to crack like the earth during a volcanic eruption. Wisps of flame burst out of his wounds as though reaching for something. "He's gonna blow! Let's get out of here!" cried Morty.

The team of heroes made haste to escape from the palace. When they reached the courtyard, Chimera reached critical mass and exploded. A great shockwave rushed throughout the palace, crushing everything within its path. Morty and Faust dove to the ground as just before it reached them. A billowing wall of flame followed, burning everything to a crisp. The flames burst into the sky like an upright tongue trying to lick the sky. The Empress' palace was incinerated in the process, leaving behind nothing but a massive mushroom cloud.

Ash and soot rained on the heroes before the situation finally calmed down. Where Ramaj's palace once stood was a smouldering crater. The heroes picked themselves off of the ground and dusted off all of the soot on their clothes. Abh soldiers rushed to the scene as soon as they could to evaluate the situation. There was little for them to evaluate since the heroes were fine and the palace non-existent. The fighting was over soon after the destruction of Lakfakalle palace. The Abh Imperials recaptured and secured their capital.

Lafiel and Jinto picked their way through the mess to meet up with the heroes. They found medical personnel examining Amelia, who was given a pass as she was unharmed. "We did it!" she proudly proclaimed to the two Abh.

"Yeah, we really did," echoed Jinto. 

"Finally, we have the capital once again. The insurgents are defeated," said Lafiel.

"Sorry about the palace," said Morty. "Chimera kinda blew up on us unexpectedly."

"That's okay, we can always build a better one in its place," said Lafiel. "Let's not spoil the moment with the little details now." END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None

Spotlight: Sonic X

During a freak accident while rescuing some missing friends, Sonic's group was transported from the planet Moebius to Earth. They were taken in by Christopher Thorndyke's family while they searched for a way to get home. However, the Chaos Emeralds had come with them as did Dr. Eggman, their major enemy. To prevent the Chaos Emeralds from falling into Eggman's hands, Sonic and friends went an adventure to find them first.

Origin:  
The animals of Sonic X were born with their unique abilities. Tails was born with a knack for scientific pursuits and he, like Dr. Eggman, developed their scientific knowledge through experimentation.

Powers:  
The creatures of Moebius are empowered by ki's strengthening energies. Through ki, they can perform superhuman feats of strength like Knuckles or speed like Sonic. The Chaos Emeralds are artefacts of great ki power, but they are not well understood, not even by its guardian, Knuckles. Science, however, is the major power type of Moebius and Earth. Moebius has produced scientists like Tails, who are capable of creating dimensional and interstellar travel technology.


	29. Pillar of the Worlds Story, part 1

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Pillar of the Worlds Story, part 1: A Day at the Arcade **

It was a long road, but finally, Valiance had reached this point. Omnipotence's forces across the anime worlds were in tatters. Their arms running and money laundering schemes were in ruins, thanks to Ross Syllabus, Naomi Armitage, and the witch hunters. The Eye of God had finally been destroyed for good, something the heroes of El Hazard weren't able to do on their own. The Abh Empire was a shadow of its former glory, brought down by Omnipotence infiltration, factional civil war, and the invasion of its enemies.

The only thing remaining was to liberate Cephiro, the world of the Magic Knights. Adam Acme and the remainder of Omnipotence's forces had occupied this world and placed it under heavy guard. Although Valiance had disrupted his plans to achieve godhood, Valiance's mole began leaking reports of him finding ways to get around these problems. Nevertheless, Valiance's efforts had bought time to prepare an invasion, a very precious commodity.

Valiance forces worked diligently to prepare for their greatest battle ever. They simply could not allow Acme to attempt to spread the Pillar system across worlds. These others worlds simply were never meant to have such a system placed on it. The Pillar system was impossible under the rules of these other worlds. This contradiction was what would generate Paradox that would ultimately destroy all worlds.

Despite such a burden on the heroes of Valiance, they were determined to rise to the challenge. In the last few days before the attack on Cephiro, the heroes relaxed to get their minds off of the great battle ahead. It was lunch time and the heroes went to the various stores set up to serve the Valiance army. Sanji sliced beef doner kabob from a spit for his customers. For the priestesses of Muldoon, it was familiar treat since doner was a specialty of their home, El Hazard. They were sat together at a table to eat their hearty meal.

"Hello girls!" said Sanji as he delivered their meal personally.

"Hi, Sanji!" said the three priestesses, Miz and Shayla with happiness, and Afura with exasperation.

The girls tasted his dish. "So how's the food?" Sanji asked.

"Yep, delicious as always," replied Shayla.

Shayla elbowed Afura to get her to respond. "Yeah, you're a good cook, Sanji," she replied.

"Mmm, if only my husband was as good a cook as you," remarked Miz.

"Why thanks girls, it really means a lot to hear you say that," said Sanji. "There's so little time left. I'd really like someone special to spend what little time we have?"

"I'm not interested," said Afura.

"Sorry, I'm happily married. I don't want Masamichi to get the wrong idea..." said Miz.

"Sounds like fun, but I have more important things to do." Shayla noticed Nanami serving doner to Zolo and Gourry at the neighbouring table. "Why don't you go out with Nanami there? Say hi to her for me."

At the neighbouring table, Gourry wolfed down his meal in front of a wide-eyed, slack-jawed Zolo. Gourry shovelled the meat into his mouth and chewed it down rapidly. He then took several forks filled with vegetables and shovelled them down his mouth. Gourry grabbed a cup of juice and guzzled it down in the span of a few seconds. He returned to his plate and devoured more doner, chewing it rapidly, and scattering bits of food all over the table. He had at least five dirty plates piled up next to him.

"Honestly, I don't see how you can eat that much. Where does all that food go?" asked Zolo incredulously.

"Mmm, I love this stuff. That Sanji guy is awesome!" said Gourry between bites.

"One of these days you're going to choke if you keep eating that way." 

"Don't worry, I can manage," said Gourry, while guzzling down orange juice.

* * *

When Gourry finally finished his meal, he and Zolo made their way to the training areas to get some sparring in. Along the way, they passed by Sakura Avalon, who was walking down the street with her friends. They came across an ice cream stand and ordered cones. As Sakura licked her cone, the ice cream gave off a coldness that was as smooth as silk. It was the perfect way to cool off on a warm, sunny day. When they were done, they entered a special virtual reality game arcade constructed by Dr. Wily.

"Hey kids, you want to play?" asked Wily.

"Sure, Doctor. We're going for the treasure today," replied Yolei.

The kids stood on a special pad which transported them into the virtual world inside the computer. It was much like the world Navis like Megaman and Roll were familiar with. The floor was made from countless shiny blue tiles plastered together. Outside Dr. Wily pressed some keys, turning the environment into a lush tropical jungle. The world was a place of unexplored wilderness and mysterious ancient ruins untouched by man for centuries. The air was hot and humid. They could hear the chirping of birds, the calls of monkeys, and the clicking of insects. 

"Okay, I'm going to give you gear for the game," said Wily.

The players suddenly glowed with light and their clothes were replaced with armour and magician robes typical of an RPG. Koichi was wearing black robes, indicating that he was a necromancer. Yolei wore leather armour and carried a staff, the equipment of a druid. Sakura was in beautiful white robes, indicating she was a priestess. Shaoran was in plate mail and carried a sword, the equipment of a warrior. Madison was also in leather, but carried a dagger, and was really a rogue rather than a druid. Lastly, Meilin was in plain travelling clothes, the attire of a travelling martial arts monk.

Their game was essentially a persistent world, virtual reality RPG. They were heroes in this world, travelling everywhere they could in search of adventure and treasure. The party began making preparations for their journey. Koichi used his necromantic magic to raise a hulking skeletal companion to follow him. The spell casters also placed magical enchantments on all of the party members to enhance and protect them. Madison juggled a dagger as Shaoran twirled his sword. Each member was testing out their game-given powers.

The crew of Koichi, Yolei, Sakura, Madison, Meilin, and Shaoran approached the opening of a long forgotten Mayan temple. The pyramid was made from sculpted stone and was beginning to show wear from exposure to the elements. "This place is really creepy," said Sakura.

"Nah, it just makes the game that much more exciting," said Kero.

The group travelled through long stone corridors using the light of Sakura's priestess magic to illuminate the way ahead. They travelled through several tunnels without incident until they found a special room at the heart of the temple. At the centre of this room was a golden mask lying innocently on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There was a pair of gigantic statues of Mayans flanking the pedestal with their faces directed at the mask. Though motionless, they seemed almost alive, as though they were guarding the mask against any unwanted intruders. It looked like an obvious trap.

"That thing probably has a pressure plate underneath. Meilin, help me slide a rock onto there," called Madison.

Meilin lifted up a moderately heavy rock. She slowly slid it over the pressure plate, pushing the mask closer to the edge of its pedestal. When there was no room left, it tipped over, but Madison caught it. "Phew," she said with exasperation

However, the pressure plate wasn't the only trap. The room began to rumble. "Uh oh..." remarked Yolei.

The room continued to shake and rumble. The statues' eyes became alit with golden light as they began to stir. They rose up from the seated positions which they had been confined to for centuries. Dust and loose stone fragments tumbled off of their body as the statues of gods came to life. They looked around the room and noticed the mask in Meilin's hands. "This is not good..." said Koichi.

"Run for it!" cried Kero.

The team rushed back through the tunnels. The temple rumbled as the animate statues pursued, smashing their way through the treasure room's exit. When they finally made it back to the jungle, the statues smashed their way through the Mayan temple's entrance to follow them. "Don't these guys know when to give up?" asked Yolei.

"Well, if it's a fight they want, let's give it to them!" said Meilin defiantly.

Meilin rushed to the nearest statue and proceeded to deliver a flurry of blows. The statue shuddered with each hit, but remained standing. Noticing her by its leg, the statue made a swipe down at her. She rolled out of the way at the last moment. When the statue's hand hit the ground, it triggered an earth-shaking thud. Koichi hurled bolts of acid at the statue, corroding an indentation into its chest. His hulking skeleton rushed at the statue and began to hammer it with its fists.

Shaoran charged into the other, slashing the statue in the leg. Using this distraction, Madison scurried up that statue's back and began plunging her dagger into an exposed crack. The statue felt the dagger plunging into its chinks and attempted to swat her off. Yolei chanted spell to summon a lightning storm upon the enemy. At the last moment, Madison jumped off, allowing the lightning bolt to strike the statue. Weakened from Madison's chipping, electricity tore into the crack in the statue's back. Suffering devastating damage, the enemy crashed to the ground with a ground-shaking thud.

Koichi chanted another spell, this time swirling an aphotic cloud of negative energy around the remaining statue. The decaying powers of entropy whittled away at the statue, causing chunks of it to chip off. Shaoran slammed his sword into the ground, sending a shockwave racing along the surface. Upon striking the statue's left shin, its leg broke off, shattered into pieces. Meilin launched herself into a flying kick, striking the monster squarely in the chest. The creature's stony body fissured, eventually rupturing and falling to pieces from the strain.

The team exchanged a round of high-fives. "Yeah, alright!" said Yolei.

"See, I can hang with the best of you. No one can beat Meilin Rae!" said Meilin.

"She's sure happy," remarked Hawkmon.

"Oh yeah," agreed Kero. "It goes straight to her head."

* * *

The team left the arcade, passing by the parlour at which they ate ice cream earlier. At the parlour were Ryo and Aisha, who were spending time together there. They were finishing their date by eating ice cream for dessert. Ryo and Aisha crossed their cones and licked ice cream from each other's cone. "Mmm, chocolate!" remarked Ryo.

"The vanilla is soft and velvety," said Aisha.

"Oh yeah, c'est l'amore," said Tokagero as appeared beside Ryo.

"Quiet, you're cramping my style!" said Ryo, putting his spirit companion in a headlock. 

"Huh?" asked Aisha.

"Oh not you, I was just talking to Tokagero... Hey, that's Morty!" remarked Ryo as he watched him take a seat at a fast food restaurant across the street. "Let's go meet him."

Ryo took Aisha to the fast food restaurant. It turned out that Kagome and Shippo were also there, to eat a meal with him. "Oh hi Ryo, going out on a big date?" asked Morty.

"Yeah, we were just about finished. I saw you at this joint I brought Aisha darling to come meet you," said Ryo.

"Hi! So you're the Morty my little honey bun keeps talking about..." said Aisha.

"Yep, that's me," said Morty. "We both do the shaman thing back home."

At that moment, Kagome and Shippo sat next to them. "Hi Morty, who're your friends?" asked Shippo. Morty introduced Aisha, who he just met, and Ryo.

"I work over at the spaceship hangar," said Aisha. "I'm part of the crew of the Outlaw Star."

"Oh, so you go travelling in space?" asked Kagome.

"Yep, there's lots of exciting things, different people, adventures... You know," said Aisha.

"Yeah, I've been here for so long and I'm still amazed at the kinds of people you can find here," remarked Kagome. "It seems like almost everyone from the anime worlds are gathered here."

Indeed, there were a lot of strange and exotic people in the Valiance base. Some of them could even wield supernatural and superhuman powers. Due to her experiences in the Feudal Era with Inuyasha's group, seeing such strange people was not unusual to her. In fact, she could wield supernatural powers like some of these strangers could. She was the reincarnation of Shinto priestess Kikyo. She had inherited Kikyo's ability to generate spiritual energy and empower arrows with it.

"Yeah," remarked Morty. "…To think that the war is almost over. I heard that we've cornered the head honcho on a planet somewhere... Cephiro, I think. We're going after him pretty soon."

"Yeah," said Mosuke, appearing out of thin air. "I'm sure everyone has met some wonderful new friends."

"Yeah, I'm kinda sad," said Shippo. "It will be a shame to leave them all." 

"Uhuh," remarked Mosuke, nodding his head.

"Uh, who are you guys talking to?" asked Aisha.

Shippo looked at Aisha with a puzzled expression. At that moment, it hit Morty. "Oh, you can't see them..."

"See what?" asked Aisha.

"Our guardian spirits," replied Ryo. "Of course! You're not a shaman!"

"Huh?" asked Aisha.

"I'm a shaman, I can talk to ghosts," said Ryo.

"Oh, like those guys who let ghosts of dead relatives control their body?"

"Yeah, something like that," replied Ryo. "All shaman have a guardian spirit to help them. Mine's is Tokagero. He's right next to me, but you can't see him because you don't have spiritual powers like we do." 

"Oh, is that so?" asked Tokagero. He began to make faces directly at Aisha's face, yet she was still unable to see what he was doing. He pulled his mouth open with his fingers and stuck his tongue out. "Ha ha ha, this is fun!"

Ryo grabbed his partner spirit in a headlock to shut him up. "Don't make faces at my woman!"

"Well, why don't you describe what Tokagero looks like so I have a picture in my mind," requested Aisha.

"Well, he's..." began Ryo. 

"Handsome..." interjected Tokagero.

"...Green," corrected Ryo.

"Strong..."

"...Likes cramping his shaman's style!" remarked Ryo.

"Good with the ladies!" chuckled Tokagero.

"...And very stubborn," finished Ryo. He looked at his watch. "Oh look at the time. We have to get going, darling." Ryo and Aisha bid their farewells to Kagome, Shippo, and Morty.

* * *

On their way out, they passed Ross Syllabus and Naomi Armitage, who were meeting with Miho Karasuma. With the Syllabus couple was their young daughter, Yoko. "Say hi to Auntie Miho, Yoko," said Naomi.

"Hi!" said Yoko.

"You've got a very lovely daughter," remarked Miho. "She looks so healthy. You must really love her and take good care of her." 

"Yeah, Yoko's precious to us," said Naomi. "We want some quality time together before we hunt Acme."

"You know, I can't believe it's gotten so far," said Miho. "When we first worked the Jeremy Dean case, I didn't expect things to turn out like this. I never would have thought we'd end up having to take down a mad man."

"Me neither," said Ross. "I thought we were making a simple bust of a gun running ring. Who knew that these guys were led by a crazy who's planning to blow up the world?"

"Well, see you later Miho," said Naomi, picking up her daughter and taking her away.

The Syllabus family went to the local arcade where Sakura and her friends had been to earlier. Dr. Wily set them up in his virtual reality game, which plunged them into a military base. The three boarded a trio of tanks and drove them out of the base's lot. Within minutes of travelling through a desert, they spotted enemy tanks moving towards them. Naomi closed distance and fired shells on the enemy. She locked on her machineguns and pelted the enemy with heavy fire. One of the enemy tanks returned fire, shaking her tank with the impact. 

Another thud rocked her tank. "Yoko be careful! You're shooting me by accident!"

"Sorry mom!" she replied.

Yoko drove her tank past her mother's and began shelling the enemy with fire. The enemy tanks noticed her and began to return fire. Ross rolled up from the enemy's flanks and dumped shells over their ranks. He managed to total two before needing to reload. In the meantime, he used his machineguns to rain bullets on the enemy. The enemy turned their attention to him and retaliated with shells. Ross sustained moderate damage as fled back into the jungle he had come from.

Naomi shelled the enemy and followed up with several rounds of machinegun fire. She managed to take out one of the enemy tanks before they turned their attention to her. They rained shells on her tank, totalling it in a matter of seconds. Yoko returned fire as she backed out of the hotspot. The computer-controlled allied tanks began to move in on the enemy's rear with guns blazing. The enemy totalled Yoko's tank, causing her to respawn back at the base.

Yoko rolled back to the battle area and fired a shell at the last remaining enemy tank. Once it exploded, the game was over. The Syllabus family were returned to the real world. "That was a lot of fun!" said Yoko.

"Yeah, we don't get to play games like this together very often," said Naomi. "Would you like to play again some time later?" 

"Oh can we? Yes, I want to!"

"Sure, we'll play again some other time," promised Naomi.

"She's a nice kid," remarked Dr. Wily. "She your daughter?" 

"Yeah, she's only four," replied Naomi.

"Hey, did you like my game?" asked Wily.

"Yeah, it was fun!"

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I love making new games," said Wily, before turning to Naomi. "If you get a chance, why don't you come visit my arcade over in Dentech City? Here's my business card." Dr. Wily handed a card to Naomi. It was Wily's business card, which was for Wily's 3D Arcade in Dentech City.

"Thanks," replied Naomi. "I'll drop by if we're ever in town."

* * *

The Syllabus family left Wily's arcade and walked down the street. They passed by a large dome where Asuka, Rei, and Hikari were snooping around. They were trying to look in the window of the dome to see the people. They stood on the tips of their toes to peer into the window. The interior was that of a typical gym. There were athletes using various equipment from punching bags to exercise bikes. Everyone was drenched, having worked up a nice sweat from their workouts.

"Can you see anything?" asked Asuka.

"Wait, I think I see someone. It's Trunks!" said Hikari.

"Oh wow! Look at those muscles!" said Asuka.

Inside, Trunks was throwing rapid punches to a punching bag while Piccolo watched his technique. Even with his shirt removed, Trunks was drenched in sweat from the intensity of his workout. After Piccolo said something inaudible to him, Piccolo walked away. Trunks grabbed his towel from a nearby rack and wiped his brow. He took a drink from his nearby water bottle.

"Rei, why don't you take a look too? Aren't you interested?" asked Hikari.

"It's kind of impolite to watch him while he's exercising," said Rei.

"Come on! You don't know what you're missing!" said Hikari.

"Well..." 

"Come on! He's gorgeous. You've got to see him!" said Asuka.

"Okay, you talked me into it," agreed Rei, who looked into the window.

Shortly after, Trunks walked out of sight. "Where is he? I can't see him," said Asuka. 

"Rei, try climbing up that tree and looking at the window up top," said Hikari.

Rei did as Hikari suggested. She crawled along the branch closer to the window above her friends. "I see him. He just put on his jacket and is walking out of the door. He's coming our way!"

"Hurry Rei, get down from there!" whispered Asuka.

Rei frantically crawled back on the branch. However, her movements weakened it until it snapped under the strain of her weight. She screamed as she tumbled to the ground. Just when she thought she would hit the ground, she found herself being cradled in someone's arms. She looked up at the face of Trunks. She turned beet red when she noticed his muscles heaving against her body. "Are you okay?" asked Trunks.

Rei was too taken aback to respond. Hikari elbowed her to wake her up. "Uh yeah, I'm fine," replied Rei.

"Good, you should be more careful. Climbing trees isn't as safe as it looks," remarked Trunks as he placed her on the ground gently. "See ya later."

Trunks walked away as the girls huddled around Rei. "Oh my God!" exclaimed Asuka. "You got Trunks to hold you in his arms? Why does the good stuff always happens to Wonder Girl and not me?" 

"You're so lucky, Rei!" said Hikari.

"It's not that big of a deal," said Rei. "Shouldn't we be getting back to Misato about now? She'll be worried if we're gone for too long."

"Oh right," said Hikari. "Let's go."

* * *

The girls ran over to Dr. Wily's arcade, where Misato had agreed to meet them later on in the day. The girls passed through the strange virtual reality machines constructed all along the grounds. They looked over to Lan and Mayl, who were playing a Netbattle game created by Dr. Wily. Above the pedestal like machine was a holographic display of Megaman and Roll's battles in the Net. They ran through a simulated castle fighting various viruses which decided to attack them.

At the neighbouring machine, Roger and his family were playing a virtual reality racing simulator. Their bodies had been transported into cyberspace where they raced Formula One cars across the countryside. Although the three other members of his family were fairly competent drivers, Roger was another story altogether. Every few seconds, he would accidentally steer his car off the road, hitting something. He overcorrected on a turned and crashed into a hot dog stand on the sidewalk. "YAAAAAAH!" he screamed before crashing his vehicle into a palm tree.

"Man, that rabbit is so crazy!" remarked Asuka. "He's taking that game way too seriously."

His son sped past the finish line, scoring first place in the race. Another racer sped past the finish line taking second place. Jessica crossed the finish line just seconds after, followed by her daughter. The other racers took the remaining positions. In dead last was Roger Rabbit, who crashed into the winner's stand just as Rick was about to get his trophy. When they returned to the real world Roger turned to his family. "You know, I think I'm really getting the hang of this." Roger's family was speechless.

The girls made their way to a large arena at the very rear of the arcade, where small group of people were sitting in the bleachers. The arena was meant for playing real time Duel Monsters, a game were the monsters weren't mere static holograms on a field. They moved around and chased the enemy duellist, who had to think fast to mobilize his own monsters and other cards to retaliate. At the centre of the arena were a pair of duellists who were playing their own game as Yugi and his friends looked on.

"Come on Touji, let him have it!" cheered Misato from the bleachers.

Touji played a Battle Ox, just as a Celtic Guardian came to attack him. The Minotaur-like creature crossed weapons with the elven swordsman, neither warrior able to overpower the other. Touji ran past the two monsters and played a second monster, a Giant Soldier of Stone. The stone soldier advanced on Touji's opponent, who suddenly activated a Trap Card. A dark pit opened under the stone soldier, dropping the monster into it. The soldier crumbled into fragments of data and vanished. His Battle Ox cut down the Celtic Guardian and proceeded to do the same to his opponent soon afterwards.

"Alright, you're the man!" cheered Misato.

"Wow that looks like fun," remarked Hikari.

"Hey, you're back," said Misato. "How was things?"

"Rei got to meet a cute guy and I didn't," grumbled Asuka.

"Rei got to meet a guy? Who?" asked Misato.

"Trunks," replied Asuka sheepishly. "You know, that martial arts guy with the spiky purple hair. He's really handsome and has big muscles." 

"Oh, that guy?" asked Misato. "If I weren't too old for him, and if I didn't already have a boyfriend, I'd make a pass at him too. Now that you guys are here, why don't you play some real time Duel Monsters?"

Touji, drenched in sweat from running around, walked by Yugi and friends' bench. "So how was I?" he asked.

"Like a pro," remarked Joey. 

"Yep, I couldn't have said it better myself," agreed Tristan.

"Thanks guys." Still feeling the rosy afterglow of victory, Touji went back to his seat beside Shinji and Misato. "Who's the man? I just kicked butt out there!" 

Touji raised his arms victoriously. "Put your arms down, you're killing the plants," said Asuka sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny..." said Touji as he put his arms down. "Hikari, why don't you take a turn up there? It's a lot of fun; great exercise too."

"Sure, how do you play it?" she asked. 

Touji proceeded to explain the rules of real time Duel Monsters and how to use the special Duel Disks to play the game. Due to the way the game was played, the rules were fewer and much simpler than in traditional cardboard Duel Monsters. Monsters were placed in the top row while Traps and Magic Cards occupied the bottom row of the card holder. Putting a monster into the top row materialized it on the field, where it would begin moving about on its own, taking general verbal commands to attack or defend from its controller. In general, bigger numbers on a monster meant a better, stronger monster overall.

Touji finished with an explanation of Magic and Trap Cards, which caused effects which swing the game. "There's more to learn, but those are the basics. If you want to check out the cards, you can use the computers in the seat."

When Hikari finally felt ready to try her hand at real time Duel Monsters, she strapped on a Duel Disk and entered the battle grounds. Her opponent was a random guy sitting in the audience, watching the others play the game. Solomon Muto acted as the referee for the battle and called for the match to begin. Hikari played a Rogue Doll while her opponent played a Mystic Horseman. As the two monsters charged at each other, Hikari put distance between the fighting monsters. She played three cards face down and another monster in defence mode.

* * *

Back at the arcade's main room, Roger and his family were about to leave for the day. It was getting dark outside as the sun dipped below the horizon. It filled the sky with rosy crimson light. Roger and family also had a dinner to attend, one which was being hosted by his long-time friend Eddie Valiant. The Rabbit family travelled down dirt roads and past various businesses that serviced the members of Valiance. After a fifteen minute walk, the group came across Eddie's home, a dome-like building.

Roger knocked on the door, which Dolores answered. "Oh hi Roger! Come in!" 

The Rabbit family entered the dome with the kids scrambling quickly into the home. "Be careful kids, don't mess up Auntie Dolores' home," warned Jessica.

"We won't mom!" replied Rick.

"Hey kids, you want to play a game with Uncle Eddie?"

"Can we?" asked Rena.

"Sure, he's right over there," said Dolores.

The Rabbit kids ran and sat on Eddie's lap. "Whoa, I may be a robot, but you're going to break my leg at this rate."

"Dinner with be ready in fifteen minutes," Dolores called to Roger and Jessica.

"Mmm, I hope it turkey, or maybe its roast beef," speculated Roger.

"Yeah, it's nice to be like this for once," remarked Jessica. "It's been very stressful what with all of the problems with Omnipotence." Jessica sighed. "We met so many nice people, it's a shame that it will end so soon."

"It's so sad," said Roger, dripping tears from his eyes.

Dolores checked the meal baking within her oven. It had been roasted to perfection, ready to be served to the guests. "Dinner's ready!" called Dolores. 

Eddie did the honours of carving the roast for the table. He gave small cutlets to the kids before serving larger ones to the adults. Everyone helped themselves to mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, and the gravy. It was a delicious meal, filling for the whole family. Eddie proposed a toast between the adults. They clinked wine glasses and took a sip. That night, the Stars of Destiny slept soundly, preparing themselves for the greatest battle ever for Valiance.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None


	30. Pillar of the Worlds Story, part 2

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Pillar of the Worlds Story, part 2: The Temple of the Pillar **

The next day, the members of Valiance attended a great meeting before an elevated stage within the heart of their base. Dolores, Roger, Jessica, and Folken waited in chairs for Eddie to take the stage. When he got on, Eddie glanced over the ocean of people assembled before him. They were tense, anxious to hear words of encouragement from the leader of Valiance, the Chief Star of Heaven. Valiance's greatest battle laid ahead of them, the final showdown between them and Adam Acme.

Eddie adjusted the microphone before addressing the crowd. "Heroes of Valiance, today is a great day for every Toon. Today has a special meaning for each of us. For some it is revenge, for others it's about doing what's right. Whatever your reason, today is when we finally bring the fight to Adam Acme. For the past year, he has terrorized our homes and escaped whenever we try to stop him. Today, there is nowhere left for him to run! Today, we will finally turn his greedy dream of power into a nightmare!"

The crowd cheered boisterously. "YEAH!"

"We will crush Acme and all those that dare to get in our way!" continued Eddie. The crowd, moved by Eddie's speech, erupted into cheers. "So when we go out there, let's show those Omnipotence maniacs that they can't mess with us or our worlds. We're pissed off, so let's show them just how pissed off we are!"

After that rousing speech, the armies of Valiance mobilized their forces to attack Cephiro. The Valiance strategy was a three part plan. The first was to secure the space above Cephiro. From the information gathered by Valiance scouts and the mole, Omnipotence had a fleet of about 300 hundred ships guarding Cephiro. Most of these vessels were Abh and Toon ships acquired while Omnipotence still controlled their governments. Valiance's renewed space force would come in three waves and wipe out the entire fleet or at least as many enemy ships as possible.

The second phase was to have the space fleet bombard the planet and remove as much surface-to-space weaponry as possible. They would also soften up enemy troop formations for the final phase, the ground assault. Of the three phases, the ground assault was the most elaborate. It was also complicated by new developments. Acme had already become the Pillar of Cephiro. However, he had not begun expanding the Pillar system yet and Valiance was intent on keeping it that way. Acme was holed up it the heart of a special temple complex he had willed up in preparation for this. This temple was Valiance's ultimate goal.

The complex was Omnipotence's command centre. It was shaped like a diamond with its corners facing the cardinal directions. It housed all of the items Omnipotence had stolen for their research. This strange structure was made from a blue, crystalline substance that was virtually indestructible. Due to these factors and the fact that it was on top of a plateau, the only way to breach this temple was to send people through tunnels underground on foot. These tunnels led to a node directly underneath the temple.

There were five possible paths to take from this point, four of which were marked with a symbol. These marked pathways led to the nodes at each corner. Each node corresponded to one of the four power types, science, psionics, ki, and magic. They were marked by symbols of a gear, a brain, a muscular torso, and a book respectively. Only someone who had powers of the corresponding type could enter these pathways. Anyone else was repelled. In the case of the science path, the team had to have no other special powers.

Each of these nodes supplied power to a barrier which blocked off the centre. They also provided Acme with the ability to use any technique or spell from that particular power type. If possible, each team could help out by sabotaging their node to weaken Acme. The science node was an especially important one since it housed key infrastructure needed for expansion of the Pillar system. He kept the supercomputer Ymir there, as well as the machines which suppressed his Paradox. The fifth team would take the unmarked path and confront Acme at the heart of the temple.

As the Valiance fleet sped through the dimensions, they emerged at the other end in outer space some distance from Cephiro. "Sir, we will reach the Cephiro system in thirty minutes," reported Dr. Eggman.

"Good," replied Eddie.

One by one, Valiance battleships emerged in the space around Cephiro. Though outer space was infinite and boundless, enough Valiance ships had appeared to clutter the void. There were over a hundred ships in the first wave alone with many more still to come. Among those in the first wave were the Archangel and the Basroil. The enemy ships guarding Cephiro moved forward to intercept the arrival of Valiance's fleet. Beams of light and missiles surged back and forth from each side. Ships from both sides burst into pieces flame upon suffering fatal damage. The battle for Cephiro had begun.

The Freedom zipped through space, dogfighting with any enemy fighter craft or mobile suits it encountered. An M1 Astray fired several shots at the Freedom, whose great speed allowed it to evade easily. Kira fired a pair of retaliatory shots, missing his first and scoring with his second. The shot melted through and severed the mobile suit's left arm, depriving it of its blast shield. A UFO zinged by and fired several beams of energy. The shots rattled the Freedom's shield, but were unable to penetrate the anti-beam coating.

Kira fired a pair of shots but the UFO slid sideways perfectly. Toon UFOs had special parts which provided inertia-less flight and the ability to make sudden direction shifts. The UFO fired more beams which Kira evaded through deft movements. He fired more beams both of which missed. The UFO and Freedom traded shots but both missed their mark. Kira finally scored a hit to the top, causing the UFO to shudder. It exposed a previously invisible yellow force field which protected the ship much like Phase Shift Armour.

As Kira discovered, not only were Toon UFOs very elusive, they were also shielded by an energy barrier. "Athrun, watch out, these things are shielded!" warned Kira.

It was too late. Athrun had already fired the Aegis' gun, expecting the beam to burn through the enemy UFO. Instead, it impacted a similar barrier harmlessly. Athrun then heard Kira's warning, just in time to narrowly avoid the enemy's retaliatory shot. "Now you tell me!" he replied irately.

Athrun dodged more incoming beams. He fired several beams in return, missing the UFO, which shifted sideways to escape. Athrun closed in and attempted to slice it in half with a beam sword, but the UFO shifted sideways again and returned fire. Athrun raised his shield, barely in time to block. He returned fire, hitting the craft twice with beams. One of the beams seared the UFO's anti-gravity thrusters, giving Athrun the break he needed. He closed in and sliced the UFO in half.

From his station in the Crimson Egg, Folken watched the state of the battle unfold. Valiance had hit the Omnipotence line hard. His ships were beginning to wedge through the enemy's line, separating them into two less cohesive groups. "We've got the enemy on the ropes. Send the next wave to hit their exposed flanks. Trap them in between our crossfire!"

The next wave of forces emerged from several gates which shimmered into and out of existence. They approached the enemy line, which was weakened and fractured by the initial onslaught. With the first wave still putting up a fight, the second wave easily closed in from the vulnerable flanks. Omnipotence's fleet was trapped in the middle as Folken had planned. Each enemy ship came under attack by the first wave from one direction or the second wave from the other.

A UFO shifted sideways to avoid Kira's fire. However, it also moved out of one line of fire and into the Eternal's. The Eternal let lose with guns blazing. The beams impacted the UFO violently. Its shields depleted rapidly until a beam seared through the craft itself. The UFO exploded in brilliant burst of flame. Other enemy ships followed the destruction of that UFO. An Omnipotence Abh cruiser came under heavy attack by Valiance mobile suits. A Valiance Abh cruiser fired upon the enemy, destroying it in a brilliant flash of fire. Even Omnipotence's larger ships fell to ruin under Valiance firepower.

As the enemy fell, Valiance began to position ships around Cephiro to begin bombarding its anti-ship defences. From the surface of the planet came beams of light, one after the other. Valiance-aligned Abh cruisers responded in kind, raining beams of light back on the surface. They descended down and seared a hole into the ground next a gun emplacement. The gun aimed upward and returned beams up to the ships in orbit. The first three shots missed, but the fourth seared through and blew up an Abh cruiser. Even as it exploded, the Abh ships kept the pressure. The beams rained on the gun until it was struck and exploded in a burst of flame.

* * *

After heavy bombardment, Valiance had lost several ships, but Omnipotence had lost even more in ground defences. Valiance ships had cleared a path for the ground invasion to land and finish the task of invading Acme's temple. The drop ships descended onto the planet like meteors falling from space. From the ground, they looked like shooting stars. They hit the ground with a loud thud and the doors hissed open. Soldiers and towering mobile suits and Evas began to swarm out, taking control of the area. 

In the distance, they could see the temple complex high on top of its plateau. It towered over the horizon like a dome of blue crystal. Valiance's army marched down the plains towards the base of the temple. As they approached, they could see the first signs of an army waiting for them. There were M1 Astrays and several soldiers manning gun emplacements. The two sides were not yet in firing range, but could knew the other was there. Suddenly, a squadron of aerial Digimon flew by overhead! The Digimon dumped tons of ammunition upon the enemy. Mobile suits exploded in plumes of flame and soldiers were thrown about like rag dolls.

A Gigadramon hovered overhead and rained missiles down on the enemy line. A missile descended onto a gun emplacement, blowing it to pieces in a deafening explosion. Others began to twist around to aim at the Digimon and shoot them down. Gigadramon banked away as he came under fire. A cannon turned towards a Parrotmon. Its shell damaged the bird's wing, causing to leak Fractal Code painfully. More shells struck the bird and it crashed into the ground and disintegrated into Fractal Code entirely.

Thrown into disorder, the Valiance ground forces had approached the enemy unhindered. Stealth Guymelefs suddenly removed their cloaks and blasted flamethrowers onto the enemy. Soldiers hidden in trenches were charred alive, leaving behind only ash. A Guymelef unit flamed a gun emplacement moments after its operator abandoned it. The metal machine became charred black and rendered useless. A rocket soared through the sky and struck the Guymelef. The explosion tore through the cockpit, killing the pilot immediately. The Guymelef toppled over as a useless hunk of scrap metal.

A Saillune soldier hacked off the barrel of an Omnipotence soldier's gun. The soldier gutted the Omnipotence gunner and left his body for dead. No sooner than he turned away that the enemy rose up as one of the undead. The zombie soldier shot his killer in the back and shambled away. An bolt of flame embedded into the zombie's back. It ignited and burnt to ash as it collapsed to the ground. The magician that had sent that spell fired another at an approaching enemy soldier. An unnoticed grenade landed on the feet of the magician and exploded.

The bodies began to pile all around, the bulk of which came from Omnipotence. Everyone had been bloodied and battered from the most intense battle they had ever fought. However, Valiance had the upper hand, causing more damage than their enemy could handle. Within the hour, they had secured the area around Acme's temple. The greatest heroes of Valiance travelled through the underground tunnels beneath the mountains. The path was lined by the same crystal as the temple. Thoughts races through the heads of the heroes as they walked through the tunnel.

"So, it has finally come to this," remarked Koichi.

"Yeah, I'm a little nervous," said Sakura.

"Same here," said Koichi. "Who knows what we'll face in the battle with Acme? I hope all of us can go home safely."

"To think after all this is over, we're all going to go back home. I'm going to miss everyone," admitted Sakura.

"It's not goodbye forever. We can always visit them whenever we go on vacation," said Kero.

"Yeah, I'd like to show you the Digital World some time, Sakura. There are a lot of beautiful things I want you to see," said Yolei.

In another group, Trunks down the hallway with the shaman. "How can you be so calm, Yoh? All of us are sweating and nervous and you're treating it like a day in the park," remarked Morty.

"Eh, no need to get worked up about it," said Yoh. "I know we can take him so there's nothing to fear."

"Well, Acme is probably as afraid of us as much as we are of him," suggested Trunks. "I'd be scared too if so many people were coming to get me all at once."

"As much as I understand how you feel, Trunks does have a point. I wouldn't want to be Adam Acme right now," observed Amidamaru.

Sonic used his fingers to count off every one going to fight him. "Yeah, he's got us, those kids in the front, those cops in the back, some of Cephiro's people, our strategist... He's sure made a lot of people mad."

"We're here," announced Folken.

The teams reached the fork in the road as described in their briefing. The fork was a large nodal room made from the same crystal as the rest of the temple. At the moment, the team was directly under the temple itself. There were five pathways to choose from. The central one was quite short. They could see an elevating platform at the end of it, but it was protected by a barrier of translucent, iridescent light. This one led to Acme, but they needed to shut off power before they could use it. From left to right, the pathways were marked by a brain, a gear, a muscular torso, and a book.

"You all know what you have to do right?" asked Folken.

"Yeah," replied Yoh.

"You know, I wonder what would happen if I were to enter a different doorway..." remarked Urd.

"Uh, Urd, I don't think that's a good idea," warned Belldandy, concerned about where this was about to lead.

"Yeah, I think you should listen to sis this time," advised Skuld.

"What could possibly happen?" said Urd, who thrust her hand into the ki doorway. A loud 'BZZZZT' sound echoed in the room as a surge of electricity ran through Urd's body. "YAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Urd collapsed onto the ground, her hair still standing on end from the electricity. Everyone but her sisters had a laugh at her expense.

Skuld sighed. "Why didn't you listen?"

"Great, now I'm the laughing stock," groaned Urd.

"Well, at least that loosened everyone up," remarked Folken, failing to suppress his laughter. "Okay everyone, let's go! We've got a madman to stop."

* * *

The amassed group split into five groups, four of which entered the doorways relating to the power types. The last group waited at the fork and the entryway for them to finish up. Ross headed a team consisting of his wife, the three Norns, Banpei, Folken, Folken's cat women, Lan, and Mayl. Each member had been chosen for very a specific reason. The Norns, Folken, Lan, and Mayl were there to help with sabotaging Acme's computer systems, including Ymir. The rest were mostly there for security, although some of the hackers could fight if needed. 

Ross' team walked down the Pathway of Science. As they went deeper into the pathway, the hallway began to turn metallic. After a few more steps, they could see golden, circuitry-like designs on the walls as well. Ross and Naomi kept their guns out at all times in case anyone tried to ambush them. They entered a room filled with work desks and chairs. At the far end of the room was a board with a schematic for a machine written on it. It looked like the R&D facility of a typical corporation.

Suddenly, several androids descended a flight of stairs at the opposite end of the room. Upon entry into the R&D room, they opened fire! "Take cover!" cried Ross, shoving down one of the desks and diving behind it.

The others took cover behind desks and returned fire. Bullets and blasts of energy went flying across the room. Ross peaked out and squeezed off a few rounds. They hit an android squarely in the chest, knocking it down. The other androids fired more shots, but were unable to get through Ross' cover. He peaked out again and squeezed out more rounds, nailing another android in the head. It collapsed onto the ground, spurting sparks of electricity. Ross hit two more androids, staggering one while taking out the eye of another.

Urd peaked out and arced a blast of lightning. The electricity surged through the android, causing it to shudder uncontrollably. Its circuits shorted with a foul smell. The android collapsed on the ground. The others returned fire, narrowly missing her head before she ducked behind cover. Belldandy fired a blast of air which dented an android's chest. The android attempted to keep fighting only to take another blast to the chest. This one punctured a hole through it. It twitched uncontrollably even after falling to the ground.

"This is taking way too long," said Naomi.

She peeked out to fire a few shots before returning to cover. "Don't worry, I'll have Banpei handle this," assured Skuld.

A hidden compartment opened in Banpei's back. A portable rocket launcher emerged and formed on his back. Banpei peaked out and let a rocket rip. It swooshed as it soared across the room, hitting the opposite wall. It exploded with a deafening boom, blowing up a huge cloud of smoke. However, it seemed to have worked because they could not hear any shots coming from the other side. When the smoke cleared, all that remained of the enemy were severed limbs, some of which were still moving.

"...And you say I overdo things!" remarked Urd indignantly.

Skuld merely let out a forced chuckle. "Okay, maybe that was a little bit too much."

"I'll go check the stairs," said Naomi, who cautiously looked around the corner. She saw nothing dangerous. "Okay, coast is clear!"

The group walked up the flight of stairs to the top floor. They entered into a room much like a dome in structure. At the centre was a column of light. In the light's centre was the holographic image of a giant. There were seats and spectral terminals all around it for operators to input commands. Several female operators were typing into this computer, Ymir. When they noticed the team, they immediately attacked!

The women leapt onto the walls and crawled along them like spiders. This was very abnormal behaviour for humans, leading the team to suspect they were also androids. Urd fired lightning but her victim leapt out of the way. Another leapt at her, but Urd sensed the attack and lashed out with more lightning. It caught the android mid-air, sending millions of volts coursing through her. The android operator shock circuited and even burst into flame as her circuits overloaded.

One tackled Naomi to the ground, but she threw her off with a kick. She delivered a massive punch which turned the android's head backwards. She grabbed the android and threw more punches which eventually took off the head. The severed head rolled along the ground with sparks dancing out of its exposed wires. Naomi threw away the rest of the body. After the team reduced these androids to scrap, Belldandy and her sisters took over the controls of Ymir. Lan and Mayl attached their PETs to special ports and sent their Navis into Ymir's Net.

"I'm going to check the other room. Keep trying to hack Ymir," said Folken.

The Naomi, Ross, and Folken checked out the neighbouring room and confirmed it safe. It was dominated by another machine with a very prominent gauge on its front. It had coloured areas to indicate a danger level which scaled from green, yellow, and red in ascending order of danger. Folken retrieved a manual and blueprints within a maintenance closet. Folken skimmed through these documents to get an idea how this machine worked.

Eriya noticed the concern on her master's face as he analyzed the blueprints. "What is it my lord?" asked Eriya.

"This machine is a Fate Alteration Device, just as I feared. It's like the one sustaining Emperor Dornkirk, only it's linked to Ymir. Acme is using it in tandem with Ymir to regulate the effects of Paradox against him," said Folken. "Right now, Paradox is at the green level, but that will change once our team confronts him. We'd better not play with this machine. There's no telling what might happen if we do."

* * *

While Ross' group dealt with the Pathway of Science, Robin followed her group through the Pathway of the Mind. In her group were her friends at the STNJ, Miho and Amon. The remaining members of her team were the three priestesses of Mount Muldoon. As they walked down their hallway, the walls became like dark blue stone. The air was heavy as though an invisible presence was watching their every move. A saline smell began to fill the air, which only strengthened as the group moved further down the hall. 

"What's this salty smell?" asked Miho.

"I'm more concerned about this strange feeling I'm having. It's like we're being watched," said Amon.

"There's a room up ahead. We might find something there," said Miz.

The group entered a circular room made from the same blue stone as the hallway. There were plastic tanks on raised platforms and pedestals all around the room. The central one was the largest. All were lit by bright bluish lights which made the water almost glow. The saline smell came from the pools of water in these tanks. Submersed in this liquid were several brains, perfectly preserved by the saline solution. Some were human while others didn't look like they came from a human being at all. They were alive and each seemed to exude a supernatural awareness about them.

"Brains, brains everywhere," remarked Shayla. "Does Acme collect these things or what?"

Suddenly, the team heard a shrill screeching sound. "AAAH! What the hell is that?" asked Amon, trying to cover his ears.

Despite the team trying to do the same as Amon, it wasn't an effective defence. Unlike a typical sound, it didn't seem to originate from any specific source. Rather, it resonated from within the minds of the team. "Ugggh... Its those brains!" observed Afura, trying to fight off the sound. "They're making this sound. We have to destroy them!"

Miho mustered enough willpower to fire her orbo gun at the tanks. The orbo oozed over the tanks relieving the pain they were causing her with the sound. Amon fired more pellets into the tanks along the side walls, relieving more pain. Within seconds, the two had coated all of the tanks with orbo. "Ah, that's much better!" remarked Shayla. "I thought my head was going to explode."

The team found a flight of stairs and ascended them to the next floor. There, they found an even larger version of the previous room. Unlike the first, this room had only one tank at the very centre of the room. The saline smell was even stronger and originated solely from the solution in that tank. This tank was the largest they had ever seen and housed a brain that could only have belonged to a giant. Six pedestals bearing crystal balls had been placed around the central brain.

Miho touched one of the crystals and received a flood of random images. These images came so fast that she had difficulty processing all of it. "Are you okay?" asked Robin, noticing her fatigue.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Miho. "I just got overwhelmed, that's all."

"What is that thing?" asked Amon.

"It's some kind of living supercomputer," replied Miho. "If you touch those crystal balls, you can see things in faraway places. You need to focus your mind on what you want to see."

Miz touched the crystal ball and focused on seeing what was happening in space. She saw that Valiance's fleet was still fighting remnants of the Omnipotence fleet. For the most part, Valiance controlled the space in orbit around the planet. Several Valiance ships orbited the planet, defending its space from reinforcement by Omnipotence. The Crimson Egg was one of the ships in orbit. Miz focused on the bridge, where Dr. Eggman was giving orders to his robotic crew. Eddie entered the room and watched the situation unfold from the Crimson Egg's monitors.

"Don't forget, we're here on a mission," said Amon. "Let's break the Psionic Lock for the other team."

* * *

Madison led a team of her own through the Pathway of Magic. Following her were Meilin, the Elric brothers, and the Magic Knights of Cephiro. As they travelled down the tunnel, the blue crystal of the hall turned into dirty grey cobblestone. They began to see glowing orbs mounted on holders along the side of the wall. The orbs brightened the hallway much like fluorescent lighting. From the appearance of the hallway, it looked like they were inside of a medieval castle. The air was stale as though it had been sealed away for a long time, even though Acme's temple was a relatively new structure. 

"You know, this place kind of reminds of a castle from an RPG," said Fuu.

"What did you expect? This IS the Pathway of Magic after all," said Meilin.

The group walked further into the tunnel until they came into a dark, dank area of the temple. There were alcoves in the walls blocked off by iron bars. They had straw bedding on which a prisoner could sleep. A few even had the bones of deceased prisoners still inside. From the look of the place, it looked like a castle's dungeon. Although faint, the team could hear a series of footsteps approaching the area. They seemed to have come from men in iron boots. As the seconds went by, the sound grew louder.

Hikaru summoned her sword. "Someone's coming!"

The source of the footsteps moved closer and closer until the team could identify it. They came from a band of armoured knights brandishing swords. With them were two priestesses in ornate robes of white and two wizards in robes of black. Hikaru crossed swords with one of the knights, each trying to overpower the other. Ed transmuted his arm into a blade and parried another knight's attack. The other Magic Knights crossed blades with the remaining knights. While the knights kept the bulk of the team distracted, the priestesses and mages chanted spells.

On finishing chanting, one of the mages unleashed a great blaze upon Madison's team. Instead of incinerating them, a barrier of turquoise light, the Shield Card as summoned by Madison, protected them. "Oh yeah? Two can play at that game!" cried Meilin.

She summoned the Firey Card, which burst forth from her hand and soared straight at the enemy. The priestesses chanted a protective spell, sealing their team within the safety of bubbles of white light. Meilin summoned her Twin, a perfect clone made of magic. Meilin gave her double a boost which enabled her to leap over the frontlines. Once the Twin landed before the enemy spell casters, the real Meilin activated the Fight Card. A sensation of power filled Meilin's team, giving them more strength to fight the soldiers.

The Twin dashed at a priestess with magically-enhanced speed. She planted a flying kick straight to her face, felling her in a single shot. Panicked, a nearby mage rushed to fire out an unknown spell. The Twin heard his words and attacked. She threw a pair of punches which the wizard dodged miraculously. She went for a leg sweep, tripping the man and interrupting the spells. With a single axe kick to the head, she knocked the man out. The real Meilin fired a Shot at the remaining priestess, who crashed into the ground hard.

Hikaru began to push her foe back, which surprised him greatly. He never expected the young girl to be so strong. With a final burst of strength, Hikaru disarmed him. Now vulnerable, she made a felling sideways slash across his chest. She spotted Fuu being kicked down by a knight. As the knight came in for the fatal blow, he noticed Hikaru coming and parried. The two crossed blades and strained to overpower each other.

Al alchemically transmuted the ground and trapped the feet of Hikaru's opponent in stone. The soldier futilely attempted to wrench himself free. Meanwhile, Ed still jockeyed for advantage with his knight. Ed managed to clap his hands together while still struggling with the knight. He touched the sword's blade, transmuting it into water which tumbled to the ground. Surprised, the knight was rendered defenceless. Ed took this chance to shoulder tackle the knight into the ground and encased the man in transmuted stone.

The team found a flight of stairs leading up to the next floor at the very end of the dungeon. Upon climbing these stairs, they emerged on the first floor of a castle. The stairs were part of a stairwell with another set of stairs leading to the second floor. They decided to check the first floor before going on to the next. Like the dungeon, the first floor was also made of a dirty grey cobblestone. It too was lit by magical orbs which gave off white light like fluorescent lighting. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

It was when the group found the treasury that they finally discovered something of interest. There were piles of gold coins, some in chests and others lying on the ground. They all seemed to be there just for the taking. Scattered within these coins were various gemstones and other items of gold like crowns and sceptres. Ed took one of the coins and tried to bend it with his teeth. "It's real!"

"Where did Acme get all this money?" asked Al.

"Same way he got everything else; he stole it," said Meilin.

"Hey, look over here!" cried Madison. "It's the Destiny Stone!"

The group gathered around the gigantic blue diamond which hovered in the neighbouring room. It had a single large ring of gold encircling its centre. The diamond seemed to cast an unearthly sensation of power. Its ring seemed to emanate a faint but wholesome and pure power. On the floor was a gigantic magic circle made of glowing blue light. It seemed to be drawing power from the Destiny Stone and channeling it out as a stream of blue light through the roof. The team had found their target.

"What can you sense?" asked Ed.

"It looks like the Destiny Stone is providing power to the shield around Acme's room," said Madison. "We need to shut it off."

* * *

Like the other three teams, Ryo led his own team through the Pathway of the Body. His team consisted of the most prominent ki users from Valiance; Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Inuyasha, and Kagome. As they travelled down the hallway, the scenery turned from the blue crystalline temple to one of Japanese decor. The walls and floors took on the sheen of glossed wood. There were prayers written in Kanji all along the walls. An aura of mystery and supernatural power filled the air. 

When they passed under a torii, they entered the first room in the Pathway of the Body. This room was circular in shape and made from the same glossed wood as the hallway. From its design, they were within the heart of a Shinto temple. At the far side of the room was a set of beads hanging from a metal hook on the wall. "Those are Yoh's beads," said Ryo.

There were also seven pedestals in the centre of the room arranged in a circle. On top of each pedestal was a single Dragon Ball. "...And those are the Dragon Balls! Let's get'em for Trunks!" said Naruto.

"Wait!" said Sakura.

"Why?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke pulled a kunai from his pouch and hurled it above one of the Dragon Balls. It collided with a previously invisible barrier of electrical energy. The electricity arced through the kunai quite dangerously. "That's why."

"There should be a switch we can use to shut off the power," remarked Sakura, looking around the room. "Let's look around and see if we can find it."

The group scoured the room for anything that might look like it controlled the power to the barriers. After several minutes of searching, they were still unable to find anything. "The switch might not even be in this room," remarked Sakura. "I don't see any traps around the beads either. Sasuke, see if there's a barrier around it."

Sakura stepped aside for her squad mate. Sasuke threw a kunai into the wall right in the middle of the space encircle by the beads. The kunai hit the wall as expected. "No barrier," remarked Kagome.

Ryo pocketed the beads for safe keeping. "I'll tell Yoh the good news when we get back. Let's keep moving."

The team continued deeper into the Pathway of the Body until they came upon an even larger room that the one which held the beads. Unlike the first, this one had several coffins situated along the walls. They were finely carved boxes of stone covered by lids of glass. "There are people inside!" said Sakura.

Naruto looked inside one of the coffins. "Oh man, that's way creepy!"

"Why are these people here?" asked Inuyasha.

Sakura and Ryo examined the caskets and the people inside them more carefully. The people weren't actually dead, but in a state of suspended animation. They included people from various ki-based societies including Ninja Nations ninja and Zeta Earth Saiyans. On a closer inspection of the coffins, they noticed unearthly, glowing blue Kanji marked along the surfaces of the coffins. Ryo noticed a tube running out of all of the coffins and up the wall beside them. A trail of blue energy travelled up this tube and to a location yet to be determined. Each of these tubes was marked by a number in Kanji.

"This writing is a special prayer," remarked Ryo, recalling his training as a shaman. "It's drawing energy from the people in the boxes."

"Living batteries," said Kagome. "They're being used as living batteries. We have to save them!" The team tried everything they could from lifting the lids to smashing them, but nothing worked. Kagome was panting from all of the exertion to pry a coffin open. "This isn't going to work..."

"I can't risk a Wind Scar," said Inuyasha. "I might hit the person inside."

"There's got to be another way to shut this thing off. Let's go deeper," urged Sakura.

The team continued inward where they found the final room. It was a prayer area with an altar at the centre of the room. The altar had several glowing beads placed into holes marked by a number. The only hole that did not have a number contained a bead that resembled a miniature One-Star Dragon Ball. "This looks like the controls for all of the power here," said Sakura. She tried to pull out the bead marked with the Kanji for the number one. "Uggggh, it won't come out!"

"How about that one that looks like a Dragon Ball?" suggested Ryo.

The bead Ryo mentioned was noticeably separated from the other. Sakura pulled that bead out easily. Once removed from its holder, the bead went dark. "Maybe this shut down the barrier back at the Dragon Ball room," suggested Sasuke. "Let's take a look."

The three ninja left the room. After a few minutes, the remaining three members heard an explosion boom from the coffin room. They ran there to see what was going on and encountered the three ninja fighting some the enemy. "What's going on here?" asked Kagome.

The ninja were in a confrontation with three other familiar ninja, at least to them. Team 7 recognized these three as Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari of the Sand Village. However, they not the real thing. Rather, they were clones of the originals made from the related element. The Gaara clone was a monster made entirely of sand. Kankuro was a wood puppet, much like the one he used in battle. The Temari clone was the hardest to see, being made entirely of shifting air.

Under Sharingan, Sasuke could see that they were merely constructs animated by chakra. "Be careful, these guys aren't pushovers!" warned Sasuke.

Gaara unleashed a torrent of pure sand upon the heroes. Inuyasha countered by batting a Wind Scar at it. The two attacks collided, cancelling each other out. Using the situation as a diversion, Kagome fired a sacred arrow into Gaara's heart. The arrow stunned the monster momentarily as it pierced through. However, it eventually recovered and reformed itself with the available sand. Gaara hurled a wave of sand at Kagome, but Inuyasha sliced the wave before it could get her.

Ryo immediately hurled himself at Kankuro with an assortment of slashes. Kankuro dodged the attacks and fired a wooden spike from a hidden arm compartment. Ryo easily deflected the shot and scored a massive slash across the enemy's chest. Kankuro stumbled back but being only wood, he felt no pain. The gash began to reseal itself as wood regrew over it.

Temari hurled a blast of air, which the ninjas evaded by hiding behind caskets. When the wind died down, dozens of Naruto clones suddenly leapt out! Temari hurled blasts of wind into the sky, blowing them back by the dozen. Some got past her defences by running underneath the winds. They hurled several punches and kicks which she evaded with opportunely timed twirls.

"Man, these guys are tough. I throw everything I have at them but they keep coming!" remarked Ryo, hiding from Kankuro's attacks.

Sasuke ducked under a casket. "There chakra reserves aren't depleting. Something is continuously feeding them new chakra."

"It might be the coffins. If I could figure out a way of shutting the power, I could stop them," said Sakura. "I think that board with the beads might be the answer."

"Okay Sakura, go back and use the board. We'll hold out here," said Ryo.

Sakura ran back to the room with the slotted board. Kankuro hurled a wooden stake towards her back. Sasuke stepped out from hiding and deflected the projectile with his kunai. Naruto summoned more Shadow Clones and sicced them on Kankuro. The wooden ninja fired stakes like a machinegun, spearing one clone after the other. However, their distraction paid dividends since Sakura had reached the hallway safely.

Gaara hurled a mass of sand upon Kagome. "Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha, running to her aid. He put himself in the path of the sand so that Kagome could escape.

The sand piled on top of Inuyasha. "Inuyasha!" she cried. She saw the Tessaiga being washed down the room by the sand. The sand burst into the sky and an enraged Inuyasha emerged from it. His eyes were red with supernatural fury, as though possessed by a demon. "Oh no, not now!"

Gaara attempted to dump more sand upon Inuyasha. It caught his arm but with supernatural strength, he ripped through the sand with his claws! Inuyasha raced at Gaara and delivered several slashes to his body. Gaara crumbled into a pile of sand, trying to reform himself from the tremendous damage he had sustained. The half-demon rushed Kankuro, ripped him into wood chunks. He did the same to Temari, dissipating her into the air.

The Sand ninja began to regenerate, but suddenly dissipated. "Sakura must have done it!" said Naruto.

Now that the enemy had fallen, Inuyasha turned his fury upon his allies. Ryo parried his claw swipes while back-pedalling for more space. "We still have another problem. Our 'friend' has gone crazy!"

"He gets that way when he loses his sword and his life's in danger. He won't stop attacking until everyone he sees is dead!" said Kagome.

"Gulp!" said Naruto. "That means us too, doesn't it?"

Inuyasha hurled a Blades of Blood at Ryo, who back off to deflect them with his wooden sword. Naruto summoned several Shadow Clones to restrain the half-demon. They grabbed anything they could get ahold of from arms, legs, and even his head. Despite so many clones restraining him, Inuyasha still continued to resist and threw them off one by one. Eventually, he got all of the clones off of him and renewed his rampage.

"We need to get his sword back to him!" stated Kagome, fetching it from the ground.

"Easier said than done!" retorted Sasuke.

At that moment, a swarm of Saimyosho descended upon Inuyasha. The half-demon turned his attention to them, slashing away at the demonic wasps. "This is your chance!" called someone unknown. "Get the sword back to him!"

Kagome carried Tessaiga to Inuyasha and thrust it into his hand. Inuyasha's bloodlust and fury vanished instantly and the wasps flew away. At that moment, Naraku approached the team. "Naraku, what are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha.

"Naraku? You're the one who helped us, weren't you?" asked Kagome.

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None


	31. Pillar of the Worlds Story, part 3

Disclaimer:  
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.

Special Thanks to:  
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

**The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny  
By: RB3 **

**Pillar of the Worlds Story, part 3: The Fall of Acme **

"Naraku, what are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha.

"You're the one who helped us, weren't you?" asked Kagome.

Naraku nodded affirmatively. Sakura returned to the room, surprised to find the demon with the others. "Are you the mole who was talking to Kakashi-sensei the whole time?" asked Sakura.

"Correct," said Naraku.

"Then, do you know how to shut off the barrier to Acme's room?" asked Sakura.

"I'll take care of that," said Naraku. The team followed him in and watched as he changed the locations of the beads. "There, it is done. My job here is done. It's up to the others to take care of Acme. Goodbye..." Naraku transformed into a cloud of poison miasma and flew back to the previous room.

* * *

Back at the fork in the Pathways, the remaining team heard a buzzing sound emanate from the central pathway. The barrier of iridescent light vanished, allowing them to access to the elevator. "Okay everyone, time to go!" urged Trunks.

The group boarded the elevator, a mere a platform of crystal raised from the ground. Three spectral blue rails formed around the circular platform to bound its elevation shaft and guide the elevator up. At the top, the group emerged in the middle of an idyllic field. The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly from the sky. Through the blueness of the sky, they could vaguely make out the walls of the crystalline temple complex behind the clouds. Awaiting them was Naraku and an alien being made purely of energy.

"Welcome," greeted the being.

This being's body was made entirely of golden energy. It seemed to fluctuate with every passing second like a television image. It consisted of a pair of vaguely humanoid arms and a featureless torso which rose from the ground. The energy man had a pair of crimson eyes with burned with hatred and rage. He towered over the rest of the team, reaching the heights of an adult tree. When he advanced on the team, he did not make a single sound, and seemed to glide over the land like air.

"Are you Acme?" asked Sakura Avalon tentatively.

"Yes little girl, I'm Adam Acme, your nemesis, in the flesh... or should I say 'energy.'"

"Well then, prepare to face justice, fiend! Amelia, the Champion of Justice, is here to stop you!" proclaimed Amelia.

"I'm a fiend? You anime Toons are the real fiends!" retorted Acme.

"What do you hope to gain from all this?" asked Yolei.

"Easy, I intend to seal off the worlds of the anime toons from the human world forever. It's clear that you are a menace to our world. You came into it and destroyed our homes and killed the people we love. I was one of the people you victimized. You don't know how much I've suffered because of you!" cried Acme.

"What could we have possibly done to you?" asked Trunks incredulously.

"That's rich coming from you, a Saiyan!" said Acme.

* * *

It was beautiful day in Los Angeles, the City of Angels. The sun shined brightly on the sandy beaches and the crystal blue water of the oceans. Tourists and the denizens of LA alike tanned on the beaches in bathing suits and swam in the salty sea water. A teenaged boy spiked a volleyball into the dirt. One of his opponents dove to the ground to knock it back up, but was a split-second too late. The ball landed on the sand. In the city itself, the people commuted to work, one of them being Adam Acme.

He was the owner of a prop manufacturer known as Acme Incorporated. This company made virtually all of the bizarre gadgets and doodads used by Western Toons in their filming. Its products ranged from hammers hiding spring-loaded boxing gloves within to portable holes. All of these items were wacky, perfect for the slapstick antics of Toons. Acme inspected one of his factories as its workers produced rocket-powered skates on an assembly line. Acme inspected one of the final products. Unlike traditional skates, his rocket-powered version had small, rounded exhaust pipes for the expelled gases.

"Mr. Acme, we can show you a crash test if you'd like?" asked the factory owner.

"Sure, I'd love to see one," replied Acme. 

Acme's workers set a testing area for the rocket-power skates. It was essentially an indoor race track paved with asphalt to make it resemble normal roads in city streets. It had high speed cameras positioned at key points around the track. A coyote Toon put on safety gear consisting of a helmet and padding for his joints. They were what a typical skater would wear. The coyote strapped on his skates and turned on the rocket thrusters. He sped down the track right to the first turn. Rather than turn with the course, he barrelled straight ahead, right into a brick wall.

He cracked the wall as he pancaked into it spread eagle, prompting Acme to laugh his head off. "Ha ha ha! What a gasser!" Acme went away with his inspection team while the R&D workers used spatulas to peel the coyote out of the wall.

When his inspection was complete, Acme boarded his limo to return home. Elsewhere in Los Angeles, an event was about to unfold that would change the course of anime relationships forever. A Saiyan with spiky black hair and clad in combat armour descended onto the streets from the sky. He had landed in the middle of a busy intersection, forcing cars to skid to the a stop to accommodate his presence. The angry drivers beeped at him relentlessly to make him to clear the intersection. The Saiyan, Yam, coldly raised his hand. A beam of ki stream out, exploding cars as he torqued his body left to right.

Now panicking before his immense power, the people fled for their lives. Yam merely smiled at the destruction he was causing. He smashed his way into a mattress store where he acquired several pillow cases. He proceeded to do the same to a jewellery store and shoved all of the golden trinkets and gems into the pillow case. Yam sauntered out of the store with his sacks of loot. He spotted a nearby bank and decided to make a withdrawal. No one was around, having fled, so it was easy to smash his way into the vault and bag the cash.

"Oh yeah, come to papa!" muttered Yam as he shovelled in wads of bills.

In another part of the city, another gang of hoodlums began their own pillaging of the city. "Ha ha ha!" laughed the gang as they tormented an old man.

One of the gang members telekinetically held the old man in the air. The man was screaming in terror as the gangster shook him around. The gangster hurled the old man away and laughed as he spilled onto the ground. "Hey, check out this chick!" said another gangster.

Another gangster held a gorgeous teenaged brunette in the air with telekinesis. He slowly began to tug on the girl's shirt until it ripped off. "Oh this one has a nice rack, doesn't she?" commented the gangster.

"I want to see her tits! Take it off!" said another gangster.

In the middle of the chaos, Acme's limo sped through the city streets. He saw a trio of leering vampires attacking a mother and her children on the street. The one of the vampires bit into the mother's neck and began swallow the juices of her life. When he had drained her dry, the vampire threw the dried husk away like garbage. In another part of the streets, Acme saw one of the psychic gangsters. He forced himself on top of the brunette and began to undo his pants zipper. The limo drove into another neighbourhood and came under fire by automatic weapons.

The bullets shattered glass windows on the limo, scattering all of the ground. "Hurry!" cried Acme as he dove onto the seat. However, little did Acme know that he was about to witness an event which would change his life forever.

His bags now filled with loot from the shops, Yam soared over the sky searching for more targets. He spotted a large mansion in the suburbs of LA. "Now that's a nice place. That guy must be loaded!" muttered Yam.

Yam descended on the mansion and smashed a hole through the roof. The brick and cement tumbled down the building into the den. The mother, her son, and her daughter examined the loud commotion. Yam landed in the den, beaming a sinister smile at the three. "Run!" cried the mother.

The mother forced her kids out to the front doorway. Yam followed behind, not in any hurry to chase them down. The three made it into the front garden just as Acme's limo pulled into the front gate. "Honey, over here!" cried Acme. Yam emerged from the front door. Apparently tired of the chase, he fired a bolt of ki right through the back of Acme's wife. The ki seared straight through, burning a gaping hole through her body. "AMY!"

Yam fired three more bolts, one after the other. The first struck his son in the head, burning a hole through it. The second seared its way through his daughter's back, just like it did with his wife. The final one seared through Acme's body just underneath his left shoulder. All three collapsed onto the ground, one after the other. To Acme everything became blurred, but he could make out Yam gloating over the bodies of his family. Yam reached for Ms. Acme's bracelets and shoved them into a pillow case. He removed her necklace and admired it.

"Real pearls... Just too sweet!" Yam kissed the necklace and tossed it into his sack.

At that moment, Acme blacked out. An unknown amount of time passed before the authorities could arrive on the scene. When they arrived, all they found were Acme's family and the ruins of their home. Paramedics loaded the severely injured Acme onto an ambulance with a stretcher. His family, his wife and children, were all pronounced dead on the scene. The authorities wrapped his family in body bags and zipped them up in a single stroke. The ambulance's siren blared as it sped away to the hospital.

* * *

Eddie, having heard this story over an open radio line on Amelia's person, couldn't help but comment. "You did all this just because some crazy Toon killed your family?"

The team was stunned to hear Eddie's voice over the radio system, but not Acme. "Ah, Eddie Valiant, I presume. Knowing your past, I was surprised to find out that you were leading these monsters against me. Why the change of heart? You hated Toons. They killed your brother. You of all people should know what it feels like to lose someone you love because of a Toon."

"Hey, I didn't go around killing and stealing just to pay back the Toons, like you did," retorted Eddie.

"Yeah, you became a drunk, a washed up has-been!" Acme shot back. "Unlike you, I went out and did something about it. If anime Toons can't live with humans in peace, I will make sure they never hurt anyone again. I will seal their worlds off from the human world forever. I will control the anime worlds and ensure that that they never try to enter the human world again. I found many, many people who were all to willing to help. Your little detective friend, Ross Syllabus, busted several of them. He probably didn't check the records, but if he did, he'd know everything I said was true."

In the Pathway of Science, the team watched Acme's confession on the monitors. "Ross, is everything he said true?" asked Mayl.

"I don't doubt it. I remember seeing something about relatives being killed in the LA Massacre on one of the launderers' background checks," admitted Ross.

Back at Acme's chamber, Acme continued his confession. "Of course, in order to seal away the anime worlds, I needed power and lots of it. I had to become a god and the Pillar system was exactly what I needed. After that, it was only a matter of gaining the powers of your miserable worlds and expanding my control over all anime worlds."

"You're going to destroy the anime worlds if keep this up, and maybe the human world as well!" cried Sakura.

"I won' let the human world be destroyed. I will use my power to see to that. The anime worlds, on the other hand, don't matter to me. To hell with them! Who cares about them?" 

"Oh god, open your damn eyes!" cried Eddie incredulously. "Why do you think everyone is here? It's because they do care! They came all the way out here just to stop you. Some Toons even came to help us and others revolted against your crappy dictatorship in the Tooniverse!"

"Bah, I've wasted enough time babbling with you. Naraku, kill them!"

"I'm afraid not," replied the demon lord.

"What? That was a direct order!" said Acme.

"...And I refuse to follow. This is not my fight Acme. I'm not risking life just for you. Find someone else to do your dirty work!"

Naraku suddenly collapsed onto the ground as though he had been deflated like a balloon. Acme telekinetically moved the baboon pelt out of the way. Underneath the furry pelt was nothing more that a wooden puppet. In a rage, Acme hurled the baboon pelt away. "Naraku, you traitor! Damn you! Fine! If you won't help me, I'll do this myself!" 

Acme immediately began his attack on the Valiance heroes. He fired a bolt of yellow energy akin to the ki blasts Saiyans and other similar martial artists could project. The team scattered and began their attack. Trunks retaliated with a ki blast, catching Acme right in the chest. The beam of energy exploded violently, but Acme was unfazed. He banked aside when Acme lunged forward in a punch. Trunks shot forward, catching Acme with a kick to the head. Acme stumbled back, but was otherwise unharmed.

Sakura and Shaoran combined powers to summon the Firey Card. The flaming angel sped into Acme and began flying circles around his body. Firey's flames rose higher and higher until they could reach Acme's face. In agony, Acme flailed his arms around to put out the fires. Koichi, in the form of Pazuzumon, flew up to Acme's side and fired several beams of negative energy. Upon striking Acme, he felt his strength leak from his body. Acme regained focus and backhanded Pazuzumon out of the sky. He hit the ground with a thud and kicked up a cloud of dust.

As Amelia rushed to heal him, Yoh advanced with Morty right behind. His Furyoku focused tightly into a blade, Yoh began hacking away at Acme's base. Morty thumped the ground with his hammer. A wall of flame billowed across the ground until it slammed into Acme. Acme turned his gaze to Yoh and threw a punch down at him. In the nick of time, Yoh rolled out of the way. Acme then noticed Morty pounding on his base and threw a second punch to flatten him. Although Morty got away from the fist, he was a split-second off and the shockwaves hurled him into the ground.

"This guy's strong," remarked Morty as he picked himself off of the ground.

"Hang on," said Yoh. "He may be tough, but we can take him."

"Yeah, let's trust in our friends to help us," said Sakura.

Acme let loose a flurry of hand signs as part of his performance of a jutsu. All of a sudden, a dozen copies of Acme magically appeared on the battlefield. "He's using the Shadow Clone Jutsu," warned Kakashi, familiar with the jutsu. "He made copies of himself."

The Acme copies immediately advanced against different members of the Valiance party. One lunged at Sonic, but was too slow to hit such a fast moving prey. Sonic managed to slip behind the clone and kick him in the back of the head. The clone staggered forward momentarily unaware of his situation. Sonic landed on the clone's back and proceeded to rain hundreds of punches onto his back. The clone convulsed violently with each hit, unable to do anything to stop this onslaught. Stepping off of the clone Acme's back, Sonic leapt into the air and landed on the ground as the clone vanished. 

Silphymon banked away from a clone's energy blast and kicked it in the face. As the clone staggered backwards and vanished, another came at her by surprise. Shaoran called upon the Arrow Card to send forth an arrow of glowing blue light. It impaled the sneaky clone in the face, causing it to vanish before it could launch an attack. "Thanks Shaoran!" said Silphymon.

As the clones preoccupied the team, the real Acme was busy chanting words to a spell. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows. Buried in the flow of time... "

"Watch out! He's casting Dragon Slave!" cried Amelia.

"I pledge myself to darkness. Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power we possess! Dragon Slave!"

Upon utterance of the final words of power, Acme cupped his hands to aim the spell. A beam of darkly crimson energy burst out of his hands. Upon striking the ground, the beam exploded with the power of a nuclear detonation. The sheer force hurled Trunks, Pazuzumon, and Silphymon through the air. The others managed to take refuge behind magical barriers erected by Amelia, Sakura, and Shaoran. Acme's blast had also destroyed all of his clones. When the explosion subsided, the three magicians slumped to the ground.

Shielding such an immensely powerful spell was extremely taxing. "That was one powerful Dragon Slave," remarked Amelia, breathing heavily. "Not even Lina can cast Dragon Slaves that powerful. I don't know how many more I can take."

"We have to be more careful," said Shaoran, still panting. "We can't let him get those spells off."

As Acme advanced on the Clow Magicians and Amelia, Kakashi leapt away and prepared a powerful jutsu. His hand glowed blue as powerful lightning arced chaotically from it. He uncovered his Sharingan in preparation for this moment. Kakashi charged at Acme at top speed and plunged his hand into Acme's back. "GAAAAAH!" screamed Acme, clearly not expecting this move. "Die bastard!" 

Acme smashed his fist into Kakashi, sending him flying across the chamber. Kakashi landed on the ground several metres away from Acme. "Uggggh..." groaned Kakashi.

* * *

In the Pathway of Ki, Sakura continued to fiddle with the altar. There were sixteen beads locked into slots on the altar. Finding a combination that worked was time consuming as there were many combinations where the beads could be on and off. Sakura continued to randomly set up different combinations until she found one that worked. A spectral image appeared above the altar. The ki team watched the battle with Acme through it, right to the point where Kakashi had been hit. "Kakashi-sensei!" blurted Sakura.

"I shouldn't be here!" decried Naruto. "I should be out there fighting the big boss!"

"Sensei trusted us enough to complete this mission. Let's not disappoint him," admonished Sasuke. "Sakura, keep trying different combinations. We're bound to find the one which will shut off Acme's ki powers."

"Okay," replied Sakura, before returning to work. After several more failed combinations, she found one that did something. A distant sound, like machinery shutting off, echoed from elsewhere in the Pathway of Ki. "This one did something..."

"I'll go check," volunteered Kagome. After a few minutes, she returned. "Good news! The power in the coffin room went off!"

"Oh yeah!" cheered Naruto. "Mission accomplished!"

Back at the battle, Acme hurled a Fireball spell at the Valiance heroes. Amelia raised a shield to weather this onslaught. Trunks snuck behind and kicked Acme in the back of the head. Acme staggered forward momentarily before turning to face Trunks. He unleashed a flurry of lightning from his eyes, which caught the half-Saiyan. The electricity shocked Trunks and staggered him backwards. Acme followed by throwing a second Fireball spell, hitting Trunks directly in the chest. Trunks went crashing into the ground.

Acme fired off a flurry of hand signs, attempting the Shadow Clone Jutsu once again. However, nothing happened, to Acme's surprise. He was certain he had performed the hand signs correctly. Suddenly, Trunks' ki beam slammed into his back. It hit Acme with such force that it knocked him into a hunched position over the ground. Amelia hurled a fireball spell of her own, while the others joined the attack. Their combined energy blasts produced a devastating explosion which knocked Acme flat on his face.

"Damn, they took out my ki node!" muttered Acme as he got up.

Faust summoned several skeletons and sicced them upon the recovering Acme. The bony army pummelled Acme and leapt on to his body to continue the onslaught. Acme bowled them over with a single backhand and tossed off the rest. The skeletons shattered into pieces and bones went flying everywhere. Acme picked himself off of the ground and threw the Flame Arrow spell at Sakura and Sharon. Sakura raised the Shield Card to protect the both of them. Someone hit Acme in the back, diverting his attention onto them. The Clow Magicians ran away to avoid any future counterattacks.

* * *

Back in the Pathway of Magic, the magic team pondered the strange set up with the Destiny Stone and the magic circle underneath it. "How are we going to move this thing?" asked Al.

Ed picked up a gold coin and hurled it into the magic circle. The coin triggered an invisible barrier which zapped it with electricity. "Ouch!" remarked Ed. "I wouldn't want to step into there."

"An invisible barrier..." muttered Fuu. "If we want to get the Destiny Stone, we'll have to shut it down."

"How will we do that?" asked Hikaru. 

"Let me try something," suggested Madison. She summoned the Erase Card, which brought forth a nimbus of magical energy. She directed this nimbus to the magic circle and the barrier it generated around the Destiny Stone. Upon contact, the nimbus caused the barrier to appear and crackle as though the energy was being disrupted.

"I'll help you," said Meilin, who summoned the Erase Card as well. With both nimbuses working on the field, the crackling became even more intense.

"No good," remarked Madison.

"We're not strong enough!" said Meilin.

"What were you trying to do?" asked Ed.

"We were trying to dispel the magic that powered the barrier," replied Madison. "The barrier should go down if we could break up the symbol on the ground."

"You mean if we were to use alchemy to mess up the ground, we could break the symbol?" asked Al.

"Yeah," replied Madison.

"Then count us in," said Ed.

The brothers Elric focused their alchemic powers upon the ground around the magic circle. They shook the ground, causing parts of it to rise and sink like the targets of a whack-a-mole game. The Clow magicians refocused the Erase Card on the circle, trying to dissipate and disrupt the magic that maintained it. Not wanting to stand around, the Magic Knights cast several attack spells onto the barrier in the form of Ruby Lightning, Water Dragon, and Green Tornado. Under the brunt of their combined powers, the magic circle gave out.

"Yeah! We did it!" cheered Hikaru.

"Now, for the hard part. How do we move that thing?" asked Umi.

Suddenly, a tremor rippled through the temple complex. "Whoa! What was that?" wondered Hikaru.

The tremor spread not only through the temple, but into outer space and other worlds as well. The Crimson Egg braced itself for the turbulence which passed quickly. Once it did, Eddie began to receive reports from the other ships and the Valiance home world. "Eddie," addressed Tails of the Blue Typhoon. "We just felt a shockwave in our ship." 

"Yeah, we felt it too," said Eddie. The communications officer put up a message from Clow Reed elsewhere in the Crimson Egg.

"Eddie, Acme has started to spread the Pillar system to other anime worlds," informed Reed. "That shockwave was the result of the Outlaw Frontier being placed under the Pillar system."

Back at the battle between Acme and Valiance, the heroes felt the same tremor ripple through the world. "What is going on?" asked Sakura trying to keep her balance.

"It looks like it's already started," said Acme. "The Outlaw Frontier is under my control. It is only the beginning. More worlds will follow until each and every anime world is under my control."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" decried Trunks.

The half-Saiyan activated his Super Saiyan form. His eyes became like emeralds and his hair glowed with golden light as it stood on end. Now, his ki could be seen around his body as a fiery aura of golden light. Trunks charged up a powerful blast of ki. When he let it loose, the golden beam blazed through the sky and slammed into Acme. The would-be Pillar of the Worlds went crashing into the ground face first, blowing up a large cloud of dust and dirt. Though it visibly hurt Acme, it was still not enough to put him down.

"Grr... That hurt!" growled Acme as he picked himself off of the ground. "I'm going to finish this!"

Acme created copies of himself. The copies fanned out and pursued each of the heroes of Valiance. Pazuzumon evaded his copy's attack and retaliated with Nanna's Gazer. The beams of crimson negative energy spewed out of his multiple eyes. Upon striking the fake Acme, the impostor vanished. "They're illusions!" warned Pazuzumon. "Ignore them! Find the real Acme!"

Kakashi analyzed each of the clones of Acme with Sharingan. Under the vision of this eye, each of the illusory clones appeared spectral and glowed with a faint white aura. Only one did not exhibit such an aura. Kakashi concluded that this had to be the real Acme. The real Acme gestured while he chanted the words to the Dragon Slave spell. "The real Acme is in the middle! Watch out he's casting a spell!"

However, Kakashi's warning came too late. Acme had finished the chant and cupped his hands to release the magical energy. However, nothing happened. Acme was puzzled. Pazuzumon and Silphymon fired upon his exposed back, knocking him to the ground. Acme hit the ground with a thud but still managed to get up despite falling victim to such a powerful attack. "What does it take to keep this guy down?" asked Yolei.

"Listen to the same advice Piccolo once told me. When cutting down a really big tree, sometimes it takes more than one swing," said Trunks. 

"Yeah, well we should put out enough power on him to cut down hundreds of trees by now, and yet, he's still here," said Yolei.

* * *

At the Pathway of Psionics, the Psi team probed through the great brain's memories. A flood of knowledge and information went through the mind of Miho as she looked up various subjects. The great brain was essentially a massive living supercomputer, database, and scrying tool. Miho went through the information until she found an entry on the node's link to Acme's psionic powers. Though the great brain was a powerful artefact, it wasn't Acme's link to his psionic powers. There was another brain exactly like this one in a similar room hidden above.

"There's another brain like this one upstairs," said Miho. She used the brain to summon a spectral stairway to that room. "We can use this staircase to get up there."

Another tremor ripped through the Temple of the Pillar. "Whoa, another one!" remarked Shayla.

Miho consulted the great brain. "Acme has just put several more worlds under the Pillar system. One of them is ours!"

"What's going on over there?" asked Robin.

"It's a mess. The weather's going crazy. There's a snowstorm in the Sahara and a heat wave going through Greenland," reported Miho. "Acme just created several armed men out of thin air in our city. They're carrying out a hunt against witches and killing anyone who gets in their way."

"We have to hurry," said Amon. 

The group climbed up to the next floor, which held the psionics brain in a jar filled with briny liquid. This was the brain that supplied Acme with his psionic powers. Without it, he would lose all of these powers. "How do we cut off his power?" asked Afura.

"Easy, all we need to do is destroy the brain," said Miho.

The STNJ and the priestesses of Mount Muldoon let loose on the helpless brain. As the first of the attack hit it, the brain let a mind-shattering, shrill ping which resonated in their minds. The STNJ members fired orbo onto the brain to silence the headache-inducing noise. As they continued to pelt the brain, the priestesses hammered the glass with blasts of flame, water, and wind. After a concerted attack, the glass began to crack. After several more seconds of fire, the glass finally ruptured. The preserving fluid gushed out and splashed all over the ground. Robin ignited the psionic brain and burned it to ash.

Back at the battle, Acme hurled bolts of devastating lightning at the team. Yolei and the shaman fled behind Amelia, Sakura, and Shaoran's barriers for protection. The others merely flew or ran away to avoid the attack. Acme ended the attack and ignited a fire around them instead. The barriers held up once again, but the flames were putting immense pressure on their creators. Pazuzumon attempted to close in but Acme noticed his approach. He bashed him away, sending the Warrior of Darkness crashing several metres away.

Acme rubbed his temples and emitted a mind-shattering psychic screech. The sound was so shrill that it was nearly impossible for the listeners to concentrate on anything else. Just when it seemed like their heads were going to explode, the screeching went silent. Kakashi uncovered his ears and prepared a Chidori for Acme. The master ninja's hand glowed violently from all the electricity that arced out of it. The crackling was like a thousand birds chirping simultaneously. When he gathered the necessary power, Kakashi plunged his hand into Acme's base.

The powerful lightning coursed through the Pillar's body painfully. Suddenly, a tremor ripped through the temple. It broke Kakashi out of his jutsu, forcing him to back away. After the tremor came a brief moment of silence. Then, all of a sudden, yet another tremor shook the ground, nearly causing the entire team to fall down. "Yes! Oh yes!" cheered Acme. "More worlds under my control. Soon, all of them will be mine! Once I've dealt with you meddling pests, I can celebrate."

Pazuzumon slowly rose to his feet from having suffered such a powerful blow. "We'll never give up! Execute, Unified Spirit Evolution!" 

Pazuzumon's armour vanished into the darkness leaving Koichi behind. An aura of darkness surrounded him as he fell down a tunnel of shifting Fractal Code. Pieces of black armour melded to his body, changing him into the form of a beast. This creature had the body of a lion but the head and wings of an eagle. Its body was covered in black armour which made it look almost mechanical. The creature let out a shrill cry as it fired a gout of inky black darkness. The creature fanned it wings to display its glory.

"Hierocosphinxmon!" 

"Yeah, that's right Koichi! Time to bring out the big guns now!" said Yolei.

"I with you Yolei!" said Silphymon. "Silphymon, Mega Digivolve to..." 

Silphymon's feathers turned a saintly colour of white. The attire of a warrior formed over his body, providing the saintly Digimon with a sword, a crossbow, and a quiver of bolts. A silvery bracer formed on his right forearm while similar armour formed on his chest to provide protection. A golden, diamond-shaped buckler formed on his left arm. Straps of brilliant, silvery leather wrapped themselves around Silphymon's legs and formed sandals. The new Digimon fired an electrified bolt from his crossbow.

"Valkyriemon!" 

"Am I supposed to be scared?" asked Acme.

"You should be," said Hierocosphinxmon. "You're going down!" 

Hierocosphinxmon opened a massive pit of inky darkness underneath Acme. From this pit came a horde consisting of hundreds of spectral violet demons. They piled on Acme, punching, kicking, and grabbing him randomly. The demons held the Pillar of the Worlds while Valkyriemon set up his attack. He charged the most powerful electrified arrow he could muster. It crackled dangerously like countless insects flapping their wings in rapid randomness. When he let it loose, it soared across the sky like a bolt of lightning. 

Upon impaling into Acme, he yelped in pain. "ARGGGGH!" 

Taking advantage of Acme's momentary lapse of attention the team fired on him. Faust summoned an army of skeletons to join Hierocosphinxmon's demons in mobbing Acme while Kakashi summoned clones. Trunks unleashed the most powerful ki blast he could muster. Amelia chanted the words to the Ra Tilt spell, the most powerful spell of the Shamanistic Spirit school of magic. The Clow magicians summoned the Windy and the Storm Card to unleash torrential devastation upon Acme. Yoh and Morty aimed Celestial Slash and a wall of fire at Acme.

This flurry of attacks flattened Acme instantly. "Did we win?" asked Sakura.

Acme's prone body stirred and he forced himself to get up. "I'm not beaten yet."

Acme spewed beams of energy everywhere with every last ounce of power he could muster. Amelia and the Clow Magicians formed barriers while the others dodged the blasts. One came at Hierocosphinxmon and blasted him out of the sky. He crashed to the ground with a loud thud that blew up a puff of dust. Sonic darted away from blast to blast. They grew in number until he could not keep track of them. One exploded to his side, hurling him to the ground. The blasts smashed Super Saiyan Trunks into the ground and flattened the others.

However, that last attack had taken its toll on Acme. "ARRRRRGGGGH!" he groaned, bracing his right arm from a burning pain. "No, not when I'm so close! Not now!"

* * *

The Sci team watched the events through the monitors of Ymir. Acme's arm had begun to melt like wax under a candle flame. The effects of Paradox had finally caught up to him. Despite all of the hi-tech equipment, the rare supernatural artefacts, and the painstaking research, he still could not hold Paradox at bay indefinitely. Folken rushed back to check on the Fate Alteration Device. As the battle had played out in the central node, the needle on the metre had risen from green level all the way up to the red, or danger, level.

The Fate Alteration Device was beginning to show signs of wear from attempting hold back Paradox. It was boiling hot and beginning to smoke. The room flashed red as an alarm klaxon blared deafeningly in the air. Folken ran back to the Ymir room. "Everyone, the needle just shot up to the red level! Can't you do anything to shut it down?" asked Folken.

"No, the system's gone totally bananas. There are errors everywhere and they're cascading throughout the system. Everything's crashing! I can't stop it!" said Skuld.

"We'd better get the hell out of here!" said Folken, who reached for radio to warn the others. At the battle with Acme, the Pillar of the Worlds began to exhibit even more signs of Paradox lashing out at him. More of his body had begun to melt. Acme floundered around desperately trying to control his decaying body, which was wracked by explosions. "Everybody, Acme's gonna blow! Get out of there! Move it!" 

"Okay," replied Trunks. "You heard him. Let's get out before he takes us down with him."

As the team escaped, Acme continued to flounder around uncontrollably. The Paradox gathered vast amounts of contradictory energy of all kinds, from magical energy to ki and psychic energy. He glowed brighter and brighter until the energy he had gathered lit him up like the sun itself. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Acme.

Acme exploded in a brilliant burst of light. The heroes came out of the mountain just in time to see Acme go off like a bomb. The blast was so bright that they couldn't look at it directly and had to avert their eyes. The crystalline walls of the temple blew apart and shattered into pieces. The walls went flying in random directions such that the Valiance army had to take shelter from the blast. In space, the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the void. The Crimson Egg shuddered as the crew braced themselves for the impact. 

"Well damn! We did it!" cheered Inuyasha as he looked back on the ruined temple.

However, Inuyasha's moment of jubilation was a bit premature. Another tremor rocked the world, followed by several more. A fissure opened underneath the feet of Madison. As she clung to the ledge for dear life, Kagome pulled her out. "What's going on?" asked Kagome.

More fissures rocked Cephiro and every other world in the anime and Toon worlds. The effects of Paradox cascaded throughout the anime worlds. Storms wracked the worlds and tremors rocked the worlds down to their very foundation. People, both human and not, fled in terror. A fissure opened underneath a vacationing newly wed couple, swallowing them whole. Nowhere was safe from the consequences of Acme's meddling. Ironically, the very thing that destroyed him was now about to usher apocalypse into the worlds.

As the heroes fled into their drop ships. Meilin explained what was happening. "No, we hoped that this wouldn't happen, but it is."

A ripple in the fabric of reality caused the ship to shudder. The people inside nearly fell out of their seats. "What's happening?" asked Sango.

"The Paradox," replied Meilin. "Acme built up too much of it from spreading his Pillar system and fighting us. Every world is going to collapse!"

"No!" said Shippo.

"Dammit! We were so close!" said Inuyasha. "We beat Acme, but everything's going to be destroyed anyways? What kind of victory is that?"

"Stars of Destiny, do not lose hope," Clow Reed's voice resounded in the minds of the Stars of Destiny. "There is a way to avert catastrophe. Pray to your inner Star. Pray to it for salvation." 

Clow Reed's students complied. "I don't think praying will help us, not now..." said Miroku.

As Meilin and Madison prayed, their bodies lit up in the purest white light. A glowing star left escaped their bodies and flew out into the world. They had released the power of the Star of Justice and the Star of Music. The two Stars radiated a wholesome, assuring warmth and light. Inuyasha's team began to pray like Madison and Meilin. In turn, they released the Stars of Destiny belonging to them. Each of the heroes began to pray, releasing all of the 108 Stars of Destiny from their beings. One by one, the Stars escaped the bodies of their holders. 

Clow Reed's Silent Star, Faust VIII's Dark Star, Rei Ayanami's Axis Star; all left the bodies of their representative and flew out into space. It drew Acme's Star, the Star of Idleness from the Temple of the Pillar ruins. Eddie prayed on the Crimson Egg and released the Chief Star of Heaven. As the greatest star of all, it glowed more brightly and fiercely than the others. All of the other 107 Stars gathered into the Chief Star of Heaven. They combined to form a star as large as the sun itself. It unleashed a vibrant brilliance upon the worlds, restoring all as it once was.

As quickly as they came, the storms wracking the worlds abated. The tremors ceased immediately and the fissures in the ground closed. All that had been destroyed by Paradox was reborn anew. When the light of the Stars had renewed the worlds, it faded away. One by one, each name on the Tablets of the Stars vanished. Since the Stars of Destiny had fulfilled their duty, the Tablets went dormant until the next time they would arise. The epic battle against Omnipotence and Acme was finally over.

"Well damn, we really did it after all!" cheered Inuyasha.

"Yeah, it's so wonderful," said Kagome. "It's so sad too. We made so many friends like Morty and now we have to leave them."

Back at the Crimson Egg, Folken went to the bridge to see Eddie. "Welcome back Folken. Mission accomplished, I presume?"

"Yes sir!" replied Folken. "Now that the war is over, we need to decide what to do."

"I've already made my decision. I'm disbanding Valiance. There's no need for us anymore. Everyone will be going home. Of course, we'll see to it that our assets are distributed among our supporters," declared Eddie.

"What about you and Dolores?" asked Folken. "We may have stopped Acme, but if someone like him could exist, they will be others." 

"We'll go back to the afterlife," said Eddie.

"I meant your robotic bodies," said Folken.

"I'll take care of it at my home," assured Roger.

"Are you sure we can trust you?" asked Folken.

"Of course! Cross my heart and hope to die!" said Roger.

"You better believe it buster!" said Jessica.

"Well, I guess it's okay. I can't think of anyone better than my old pal Roger," said Eddie, who grabbed the rabbit and planted a big wet kiss on him. Everybody broke up in laughter.

END OF STORY 

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:  
#4 Tenkan, The Star of Idleness: Adam Acme  
#11 Tenfu, The Star of Wealth: Naraku (Inuyasha)

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:  
None


End file.
